Madoka Magica Volume 4 – The Marriage of Heaven and Hell
by Mystickenji
Summary: Post-Rebellion fic: It's been several months since Madoka "transferred" into their school, and Homura's life couldn't be better. No Incubators, no witches, and no more deaths! So why are strange beings appearing in Mitakihara Town, forcing her to do something she had hoped to never have to do – become a magical girl once again? And can she prevent another set of tragedies?
1. Shadows Follow

DISCLAIMER: Puella Magi Madoka Magica belongs to the Magica Quartet. Scenario is mine. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

[Shadows Follow]

Immobile in a pool of her own blood, one large claw mark and a deep wound etched into her mid-section, Akemi Homura could only watch as the white-haired and red-eyed assailant proceeded to thoroughly tear through the other three magical girls present: Tomoe Mami, Sakura Kyoko, and Miki Sayaka. One by one, they each fell to the new magical girl's claws as she effortlessly dodged their strikes. And when she was done, she returned to Homura and easily picked her up by the neck.

How did it come to this? One minute, they were fighting a wraith with the power of Walpurgisnacht – an improbability to be sure, but within reason. But now a Magical Girl assassin? One who could suddenly appear without notice, without detection? One powerful to fight off the four of them at once, and easily take them down individually? One who reminded her so much of…

"Who are you? Why are you doing this?" she asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Akemi Homura, I took you for an intelligent girl. You should know who I am," replied the girl in the loathsome monotone voice of the Incubators. "…and you should also know why. To show that no matter what you do, you cannot save her. Not as a human, not as a magical girl, and not as the Law of Cycles. Thank you for your service against entropy. Goodbye forever."

With that, the human-shaped incubator ran one of its claws through Homura's chest, ripping out her heart and destroying most of her lungs and ribcage. As she was let go, the ground opened beneath her and she descended into a dark pit. There, she could clearly see her beloved Madoka strung up while crucified and superimposed against a grinding gear. Then there was two. Then four. And on towards infinite suffering.

And each one spoke in an omnipresent chorus despite being clearly dead with an unmoving mouth: "YOU FAILED / YOU DIDN'T SAVE ME / YOU CAN'T WIN / JUST GIVE UP"

Her consciousness fading, Homura gave into despair, screaming in unceasing agony.

* * *

In an unconscious panic, Homura flung herself out of bed, transforming while in mid-air, and crawled towards her shield while hyperventilating. When she found it, she brought to her chest and clutched it tightly. The sensation of it in her hands relaxed her, even though its gears were immobile. Her breathing slowed, approaching a normal pace, and she lay down and cried.

She wasn't sure how long she laid there, but it wasn't like it mattered. In this world, she didn't have to be hypervigilant at all times. The Incubators were sealed away as was the knowledge and powers of magical girls to all but a few: the Incubators themselves, herself, and Miki Sayaka. There were no magical dangers. Only the plain, mundane life she had wanted. One with _her_.

Kaname Madoka…

Homura blinked. Wait, she was supposed to do something important today, right?

A deeper and colder voice piped up inside her head. "_**Yes, you fool, your date with Madoka**__!_"

She sighed. "_I see you're still there…_"

"_**Naturally… You gave birth to me, the devil, after all.**_" The other voice laughed at Homura as she weakly stood up, returning to her normal state. Homura walked over to the bathroom and looked at herself in the mirror. She was as close to skin and bones as ever, her black hair was disheveled and partially obscuring her face, and she had deep bags under her eyes.

Homura ignored all those things and searched for her medicine. Now that she wasn't using magic to reinforce her body, it had returned to the weak state it was in during the first timeline. She had gotten used to moving like a normal human again over time, but this meant her heart condition had also returned and she should take her medicine. At least she couldn't die from it anymore.

"_**Please tell me you're going to at least attempt to look nice. Even if not for yourself, do it for your precious Ma-do-ka, okay~? You worked so hard to get to this point; it'd be a real shame if all that effort went to waste…**_" And again with the laugh.

"_I- I know that! I know… I… I'm trying, okay!?_" she replied

Her inner devil manifested itself in a transparent and intangible body over her left shoulder as Homura washed her face. It flew towards a window and observed the outside world as Homura continued to get ready for the day.

Naturally, they both knew about Homura's struggles, as they were the same person.

Several months had passed since "The Incident", as she referred to it, and it was now summer break. After being a magical girl for so long, Homura had a rough time adjusting back to a normal life at a public school. Especially since normal for her was being a weakling, picked on and bullied, with a body that could give out under her at any minute.

Fortunately, the ex-goddess Kaname Madoka, with her ever-expanding kind heart, found and befriended her again. After that botched attempt at a first introduction, Homura decided that the best course of action would be to join Madoka (and everyone else) in the enforced normality. As such, she manifested her powers and harsher self in the "Devil" persona that rest within her while the original "Human" persona lived a daily life in the normal world. The devil would only act in the few occasions where they needed to check up on the Incubators and keep them at bay.

A klutzy, timid, weak human – that was her lot now.

And when she did that, it was like a switch had been flipped in Madoka's mind, as she reversed and became the same outgoing and friendly person she was when they first met for the first time. Even as a "transfer student", she had no problems befriending Miki Sayaka and the others.

And Homura as well, with time.

Done with washing up, Homura opened up her closet and stared at its contents for a few moments, wondering what to wear. She'd suffer in the heat as the few casual clothes she owned were in darker hues, but… she would deal. She found something she hoped Madoka would find cute.

The devil laughed again, returning to Homura's mind. "_**Good, good… This will do nicely…**_"

Homura looked at herself in the mirror again as she did up her hair in braids. Yes… it would.

* * *

Naturally, Madoka had offered to meet Homura at her apartment. She had refused, wanting to re-assure Madoka that she could at least handle this much (she hoped). Yes, she felt anxious about these new and unpredictable events, but she refused to let her fears and doubts stop her, not now when she had already achieved so much!

Her braids done and outfit complete, Homura was now on the bus heading towards the flower field, where the two of them shared that fateful moment within her barrier, her _soul_. Every time she remembered those events – how the Incubators had ensnared her, how she slowly pieced together that something was wrong, how she realized Madoka's regret and her own true feelings, how she rebelled against both the Incubators and the universal Law – chills rolled down her spine. She and Madoka were safe now in her desired world… but for how long?

How long until either the Incubators or the agents of the Law of Cycles moved against her?

She could tell that Sayaka had already regained her memories at some point, but had elected not to move. That was hardly a good sign; the brash girl would have already acted if she was left on her own. So, someone else must be commanding her. Perhaps even the goddess herself…

She must have figured it out then. That she means Madoka no harm. In fact, she wants…

Homura pulled the cord. Her stop was next.

She wants friendship. She wants romance. She wants love. She wants all of her precious Madoka, and she wants to give Madoka all of herself. That wasn't possible before.

And it's a difficulty now, but hopefully one she can overcome. She just had to break through her shell once more. So what if it was a tougher one to crack? These things only get easier, right?

She chuckled nervously under her breath as she left the bus behind and scouted for…

Oh, there she is!

* * *

Kaname Madoka had offered to meet Homura at her apartment and bus over together with her. It wouldn't have been a problem since she could easily bike over to Homura's apartment, but Homura insisted on meeting her there. She was a little disappointed at first, but then realized this meant that her friend Homura was feeling more confident, and so she went along with her will.

Sorry, her _girlfriend_ Homura. That was going to take some getting used to, she thought.

When they first met, Madoka wasn't sure what to make of the girl. In fact, she still wasn't sure that the encounter they shortly after she had transferred in was truly their first encounter! She had the impression that something was wrong with this whole scenario but didn't know just what and that this girl – now so close to her – had something to do with it.

So the next day, she decided to investigate things in her own way – by befriending Akemi Homura and learning more about her. It wasn't easy given how shy and reclusive the girl became after that fateful day (or was she always that way and Madoka was remembering it wrong?) but she managed to do it. And in doing so, she learned so much about the dark girl.

Her heart condition. Her orphaned state. Her being bullied. Her near-total _isolation_.

(As she became more entwined with Homura, that suspicious impression gradually faded. She hardly noticed when it disappeared and she began to believe this scenario was normal and true.)

Madoka wished with her whole heart to break through Homura's barriers. And so, she did.

She started slowly... well, slow for her. With walking up to the braided girl during lunch (didn't she have straight hair before? and why is she suddenly wearing glasses?) and just sitting with her and talking to her. Well, mostly _at_ her at first. Homura wasn't a terribly talkative person even on one of those rare good days. Eventually, each other's constant presence at lunch and at other places became normal and Homura opened up more and more to her.

That was when the bullies went after her as well… but she, Homura, and a reluctant-to-help Miki Sayaka (Madoka's other friend) managed to put an end to the whole thing. Just in time for break!

Madoka chuckled, lying in the vast field of white flowers, as she remembered Homura's awkward confession after that whole issue was resolved. She had a hard time imagining too many other people who would open their love confession with all the reasons someone should turn them down. Nevertheless, she had no plans to do such a thing. And so, here they were.

She looked up again, glancing at the nearby bus stop after having heard one come by. Her bike was still on the nearby rack, and coming off the bus was…

_Oh my goodness, she looks so cute! I told her that outfit looked great on her!_

In fact, Akemi Homura had stepped off of that bus wearing something comparable to her attire as the devil, not that Madoka knew about that form. She wore a strapless dress that ran in a gradient from pink at the top to purple at the bottom. All along the dress were motifs of descending black feathers, the quill end pointing towards the sky, with fewer at the top and more at the bottom, collecting into a black pool. The gradient was also applied to the sleeves, but not the feathers. She also wore a black straw hat. For her part, Madoka was wearing a plainer outfit of a white sundress with pink flower patterns. It looked like Homura noticed her and was waving to her. Madoka waved back, and Homura started running towards her… only to trip on something and land face first in the grass.

Madoka barely managed to hold in both her laughter and her concern, as she watched her girlfriend pick herself up and this time walk towards her, apprehensively staring down the whole time. She didn't take her eyes off the ground until Madoka was right in front of her.

"G-good morning, Ma-madoka-chan," said Homura softly, shuffling awkwardly in place, looking away with a faint blush on her face, and hoping Madoka didn't actually see her faceplant.

"Good morning to you too, Homura-chan," replied Madoka with a bright smile on her face, making a point not to mention it.

Today felt like it was going to be a great day!

* * *

"_This has been so boring… she's not doing anything… this is just a normal date… why am I even here!?_"

Tucked a short distance away from the couple of Akemi Homura and Kaname Madoka was Miki Sayaka, keeping watch on the devil and making sure no harm had come to her friend. As she had been doing for several months with no incidents to be seen or heard of. Well, incidents against Madoka to be specific; there were plenty of incidents with Akemi Homura at the focus, mainly those involving her being bullied and either being rescued or saving herself without magic.

Seriously, she had the power to rewrite the universe at will, and she picks a scenario like this? Sayaka had to wonder what that devil's problem was. Granted, it made her job easier, but…

"_**Nothing unusual has happened at all? Not just with Akemi-san and my other half, but with anything else?**_" asked a familiar voice in Sayaka's head. Sayaka reassured the goddess that nothing had happened yet. Clouds were gathering when the forecast was supposed to be for sun all day, but forecasts have been wrong before. That was about the only thing she could think of.

Oh, they're moving again.

Sayaka kept still in the branches of the tree she was resting in as her friend and enemy walked out of the ice cream parlor with two scoops in waffle cones – the devil had pink lemonade while Madoka had black ash vanilla. They were walking back out towards the park, now heading towards a large lake. Sayaka let them pass a good distance in front of her before she dropped down, got her own ice cream (two scoops, black cherry, waffle cone), and then followed along.

Sayaka, of course, wanted nothing more than to give that devil a piece of her mind and end this whole charade herself. In fact, the only reason she wasn't doing so was because the goddess herself was commanding her to. After Akemi Homura sealed her memories, she still knew that the girl shouldn't be trusted and that something about this world was wrong. The devil changing her demeanor and appearance to a shy weakling didn't change that. It made the dissonance stronger and made it possible to eventually break through on her own while she was playing along with this whole scenario.

The awakening happened in a dream, where she found herself in the 'Realm of the Law of Cycles', surrounded by a host of ex-witches (minus the little girl Nagisa) and the goddess herself. At first, there was confusion. Then recognition. Then burning wrath against…

But the goddess demanded she keep playing along. And so, she was. All she had done so far against the devil was contact Nagisa (she also had regained her memories and was laying low) and watch the devil for any sudden moves. But it seemed she was content to merely be with Madoka as ordinary schoolgirls now in a relationship. Was this what she wanted all along…?

_You dummy… she would've accepted you as the goddess as well! Why go through all this?_

The devil and Madoka were sitting on a bench at a table under a pavilion. Sayaka didn't want to get too close, so she found a nearby bench and took the one facing away from the couple. It was still as hot as ever, but clouds were gathering still and the wind had started to pick up. Actually, now that she thought about it, the clouds were mostly gathering over this park where the three of them were; she couldn't see too many in the far distance in any direction.

"_**Sayaka-chan? Something feels wrong. …well, more wrong than usual. Is everything okay?**_"

Sayaka was about to answer, but was interrupted by heavy winds suddenly blowing everywhere all at once, and then a loud roar emanating from the sky. She looked up and saw…

"Those aren't Witches or Wraiths… What are those things!?"

* * *

Homura was convinced that today was one of the best days of her life. Granted, there was very little competition for a day to be among them, but that wasn't the point.

The point was, she and Madoka had spent the day doing the following: relaxing and chatting among the flowers; taking a paddleboat along the lake; walking around the rest of the park; window shopping in a nearby area; eating at one of the local restaurants and then getting ice cream; now, relaxing and chatting while eating said ice cream under cover.

It was just as hot as could be expected during summer break, but now it suddenly looked like it was going to rain. Homura found it so strange. After all, the forecast said there would be sun all day – that was why they had picked this day in particular, and she had been looking forward to it for a while now, and...

Homura was so thoroughly in her own head ruminating, thinking about the sudden change in the weather, she hardly noticed as Madoka slowly and methodically approached her from her right side, taking care not to make any sudden noise or movements, and then kissed her on the cheek with cold, ice cream covered lips.

Homura blinked, holding her breath. And when she realized who the source of the coldness of pressure was, her face glowed with a luminescent blush.

"Ma-ma-ma-ma-ma-ma…"

She was stuck in a loop, her mind engaged in a struggle with itself to form a coherent response. So many options! One: exact revenge and kiss Madoka back. Two: escalate and go for the lips. Three: faint, passing out in bliss. Four: smother her face in her own ice cream to cool off her poor overheating brain. Five: take Madoka's ice cream as payment. And so on…

…but the loop continued a few seconds longer, not ending until Madoka pulled away.

Madoka was looking at her with concern clear in her pastel pink eyes. "Homura-chan, are you OK? Do you need some water?"

Homura forced herself to answer through her attempts to get her breathing back to normal. "Y-y-yes! I'm fine… I'm fine, Madoka-chan… sorry, I was just thinking about the strange weather, and-"

"Don't worry about it!" responded Madoka with cheer, cutting her off. She then turned and looked up at the sky, taking note of the gathering clouds. "This weather is strange though. It's a shame… I was so looking forward to spending all day in the sun with you! But I didn't bring an umbrella, so unless you did, maybe we should- ah!"

While Madoka was talking, Homura had mustered up the courage to pay Madoka back with her own cold kiss. She was banking on the element of surprise when Madoka turned away. So naturally, Madoka turned back to face her while she was talking, leading Homura to flinch away and lose her balance, leading her to fall over onto Madoka while dropping her ice cream. Madoka was barely hanging onto hers while pinned under Homura. The duo stared into each other's eyes, blushes creeping on both their faces, hearts beating and blood pumping faster.

Homura spoke first. "S-sorry! I was-" And she stopped when Madoka started giggling. And the giggles turned to laughter. And Homura joined in with a softer voice, yet almost as warm.

Yes, this was one of her best days.

She rose, getting back into a sitting position, and helped Madoka up. Madoka took the opportunity to lean on Homura, offering up some of her own ice cream now that Homura no longer had any. A lightly blushing Homura reached out for it…

…just in time for sudden heavy winds to blow it out of Madoka's hands and away from the two of them. Homura's hat was also blown clear off her head. A shocked Madoka held on tightly to Homura's arm as the two braced themselves on the bolted-down table. Only Homura also sensed the menacing aura that accompanied the wind. There was a concentration of that presence in the sky, where the clouds had gathered above.

Homura looked up, and gasped.

There were three creatures levitating through the skies in the shape of large weasels, but their feet had been replaced with sickle blades, which they were using to generate the cutting harsh winds. The sickles were the color of gleaming steel, but their fur was the color of the midnight sky and their eyes were entirely consumed by a glowing eerie yellow light. They roared with their wind, bearing rows upon rows of fangs, coming down from the clouds with vicious intent.

The other people on the ground got the message and started fleeing while screaming in terror. Those who weren't bowled over by the winds in any case. Within the winds, they were assaulted by invisible blades that cut deep yet painlessly. Homura looked at Madoka's hand and noticed one that was starting to bleed.

She barely managed to tamp down an instinctual urge to freak out and drag Madoka out of harm's way with magical strength. Instead, she took a deep breath (after realizing she hadn't been breathing for a while) and caught her girlfriend's attention with concern and shouts.

"Madoka-chan! Your hand! We have to hurry and get out of here!"

Madoka opened her eyes glanced at the hand as well, as if she had just realized what had happened. "What? …Homura-chan! What's going on!? When did that happen!? I didn't even feel it…!" Her pink eyes were wide with fear, intensifying as she looked around and witnessed the evil wind's continued attack on everyone else. Slowly, she turned back to Homura, and nodded in agreement. "…Y-yes, let's hurry!"

Shakily, she stood up. Homura offered her support to Madoka, which the pinkette gratefully accepted. They walked out from under the pavilion and away from the lake, towards the flower field and out of the park. Homura's gaze was dead set and focused ahead while Madoka was glancing around and watching the devastation. This did not escape Homura's attention.

"Madoka-chan!"

"Hmmm…?"

"I- I know you want to help everyone else too… but you're already hurt! Please worry more about yourself! I… I would feel terrible if anything else happened to you. S-so… besides it's not as if… as if…"

She froze in place. Well, as much as she could with the evil winds still blowing around her.

"Homura-chan…?"

What Homura wanted to say was "it's not as if either of us ordinary schoolgirls could do anything to stop this"… but that was a lie. Neither of them was ordinary and one of them could help. And the other would want her to. Homura knew that to her core.

That's just who Madoka was – no matter what. It would never change.

Trembling over what she was about to do, she drew Madoka into a hug, surprising the pink-haired girl. But Homura spoke first before Madoka could get anything more out than a surprised squeaking noise.

"I… I'm sorry. I've… been hiding something from you."

She drew away, allowing Madoka to stand on her own and see her fully, and then began to transform, being surrounding by writhing shadows as the process went on. They unwove her braids, straightening out her hair, and transformed her date outfit to the attire matching her new existence – the strapless black feather dress, short in the front and flaring long in the back, with a black choker, black arm stockings, and purple leg stockings. The symbol of the Black Trident was prominent on the exposed flesh on her chest just below her neck, and the remaining shadows congealed behind her into feathered wings – white on top, black on the bottom. For now, she left her glasses on.

Her (now) red eyes gazed into Madoka's, expecting either fear or recognition. Thankfully, neither were present. Instead – confusion, concern, care. The familiar. But also something…?

"Homura-chan! You're… you're… beautiful! Are you an angel?"

Madoka blurted that out, and then a few seconds later realized she actually said that out loud. She chuckled, blushing faintly. Homura on the other hand, was frozen in shock, her face glowing more and more red with time. Both the human and devil felt the same. Only when the winds roared loudly again did Homura remember there was no time to clam up like usual. So, the human side of her stammered out a response.

"Tha-tha-tha-tha-thank you!" she said, hands clasped in front of her chest, blushing face turned away from Madoka's own. She turned to face her girlfriend. "…But no, I'm no angel…" She walked up to Madoka, and gestured towards the red ribbon in the pinkette's hair, and then towards her own. When Madoka assented to letting her have it, she kept going. "…I'm just me. Always have and always will be."

Madoka didn't get it, but nodded along anyway.

Homura finished tying up the red ribbon in her hair, and then picked up Madoka and flew her away from the lake, towards the area where Sayaka was hiding. She told Madoka to stay here and take cover, noting out of the corner of her eye that Sayaka was running towards them, and then flew immediately towards the three wind-riding creatures to halt their attacks.

* * *

The fight itself was over in a flash. When the devil reached the three creatures, they approached her in what would be their final mistake. Using the powers of darkness, she swallowed them all up in a cloud or shadiws, from which only she emerged moments later. And with that the clouds dispersed and the winds ended. Homura promptly flew off before any attention could be drawn to her, flying away from Madoka and Sayaka, much to their confusion.

As Sayaka had been pretending to be a normal person as well, she didn't heal Madoka, but did bring her towards several medics who had appeared on the scene shortly after the "storm" began, treating everyone that they could. Thankfully, no one was fatally injured, and these wounds, though deep, were of the sort that would heal over time with minimal intervention beyond basic care for most. Only a few needed intensive care, and were already being sent out.

"Isn't it great that everyone will be fine?" asked Madoka cheerfully to Sayaka, looking over her own bandaged hand.

Sayaka nodded in affirmation, then noticed a movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to it, and Madoka followed. It was the devil, now in the form of a normal person, and she had apparently also found her hat. Madoka cheerfully waved to her while Sayaka frowned and turned away. Madoka noticed this, frowned at Sayaka, and jabbed her with her elbow, asking Sayaka to be nicer to Homura in a whisper. Sayaka sighed, put on a neutral expression, and waved half-heartedly at the devil, who was now much closer. Homura half-heartedly waved back to Sayaka, and then proceeded to ignore her and went over to Madoka to see if she was okay.

_I guess… that's a start_, thought Madoka to herself. She was never quite sure why the two didn't get along, and hoped to change that someday. But now there was something more important to think about.

"Are you ready?" asked Madoka to Homura.

Homura blinked. "Um… ready for…?"

"To finish our date! We need to get more ice cream!"

Homura blinked again. Then a small smile grew on her face, and she broke into giggles. Yes, Madoka was the same as ever. "O-of course… let's go."

Madoka reached over and took Homura by the arm, and the two walked off. But not before Homura whispered to Sayaka that they needed to talk later. Sayaka shivered at that, not knowing what could be next. Meanwhile, Madoka was talking to Homura as they went along back to the ice cream shop. "So… what was all that about? The creatures, and your transformation?"

Homura didn't want to answer the second part, but knew she eventually would have no choice. And it's not like she knew anything about those creatures either, but she knew who might. Or 'what' might. "…Can… can we talk about that later? I just want to enjoy the rest of my day with you…" She needed time to come up with a convincing story.

Madoka smiled, and leaned into Homura, not knowing any of that. "Of course!"

And the (still open!) ice cream parlor was just up ahead.

The two finished the rest of their date with no further interruptions.


	2. A Visitation (intro)

A/N: Interlude this time, full chapter next time. Enjoy!

* * *

[A Visitation (intro)]

The devil woke up in the sealed world, laying on the ground and looking up at a sharp cliff face. The day may have ended peacefully, but this new event needed investigation. And there was nowhere better to start than here, the world where magic is meant to be contained. The world that bore witness to evil creatures – the Wraiths, from humanity, and the Incubators, from the stars.

Her human self was resting peacefully in the real world – well, peacefully for now. Who knew if she would have another nightmare again? They've been more and more common lately…

Well, if that happened, she would return to be with her other self. She could do at least that much.

The skyline and horizon were the same in this false one as in the true one, reflecting its status as a mirror realm. The sky itself was pitch black, and was full of bright, gleaming stars despite the brightness of Mitakihara Town. Half the moon was gone, the rest now a blood red due to a lunar eclipse that began some time ago and had yet to end. If she looked closely, could she see eyes set upon it, in various hues, crying blood? She blinked, and the apparitions vanished.

An ill omen, for certain.

She stood up, brandished her wings, and flew away.

* * *

She ran into a group of normal and modified Incubators in the midst of eating after successfully killing what appeared to have once been a Wraith. Ever since she trapped them here and forced them to obtain the energy they needed for their accursed existence on their own, they had engaged in experiments modifying their bodies to make them more suitable for combat.

In one example, the same body plan was used as for the base Incubator, but it was much larger, perhaps comparable to a leopard or jaguar. It had fangs and claws similar to one as well. There were also smaller companion bodies, perhaps comparable to lynxes or hyenae. In another example, the body had been modified to more closely resemble that of a bird of prey, perhaps the size of an eagle, but the head had been modified to use the tentacle and beak combination favored by cephalopods. The internal beak was also beset by rows and rows of sharpened fangs.

There were many more like these, in various shapes, and based on various animals – but none were humanoid, the devil noted. Perhaps without a soul to analyze, they could not replicate human beings well enough for it to be even worth attempting. Perhaps they suspected if she saw such a creation, she would destroy it on sight. It would be good for things to stay this way with no further development, she thought; otherwise, she might have to destroy them rather than continue using them for her own ends.

As she approached, several night owls screeched, heralding her arrival. The Incubators paused their feast to regard her, and then one with the normal body design stepped forwards towards the spot on the ground where she landed. Several of the night owls flew in close, one perching on her shoulders, and others surrounding the Incubators' representative.

"Akemi Homura," it spoke in the usual monotone, "to what occasion do we owe this visitation? Have you perhaps realized it is nonsensical to imprison us here forever and allow us to roam freely upon your world again? The stabilization of the Universe against entropy-"

"Silence," was all she said, and the being stopped at once, flinching back on reflex. Several of the night owls screeched at it, and one close enough to the Incubator pecked at its ears.

"I don't understand. If you have not realized the importance of our mission, then why then have you appeared? You have appeared here many times for no apparent reason."

The reason was quite apparent to both of them in truth, but the devil would not reveal it out loud. Instead, with a flick of the hand, she revealed a curious object that was a combination in shape of a normal Soul Gem and a Grief Seed, and halfway in size between the two. It was pitch-black and thick with a miasma of grief, and had no particular symbol or design associated with it.

The Incubator recognized it at once. "Ah, a Demon Seed."

The instant it spoke those words, the night owls drew in closer. The devil, however, did not change her expression, but spoke: "So then, you recognize this object and have named it."

"Strange creatures began appearing not too long after you trapped us here. Given that they did not exist before you exerted your Will upon all of existence, it is only appropriate to refer to them with an epithet that resembles you, Akemi Homura. It is strange how you were able to do this given your known potential. This is worthy of close study. Perhaps you-"

The night owls screeched again, and the Incubator stopped. The devil's glare alone could kill.

"I am not responsible for these creatures you call 'Demons'. A trio of them appeared in my presence and wounded _my_ Madoka. I would not allow anything I could control to do that."

The Incubator continued the train of thought. "…so then, you believed that we must be responsible. Akemi Homura, even if we could create such beings, we have no way to break out of this prison. You know this best of all of us. If we could escape, we would have done so."

The devil didn't quite believe the Incubator, but gave no indication of anything other than acceptance. "And these seeds? What is their energy potential?"

"They are much better suited for our needs than the Grief Cubes. Unfortunately, we will never be able to compare them against our original system. The Demons are difficult for us to kill, but their energy output is more than sufficient our objectives. As such, we have developed these new bodies to better hunt them."

The devil could feel some other intentions hiding beneath the surface, but gave no indication to that either. "Very well then. I have no use for it, so you may have this one as a token of my grace. I expect you will kill any Demons you find here, and those seeds are also yours. Any remaining seeds I obtain will be mine. I should also be able to find a use for them, after all."

"Very well then. However, we would be remiss not to extend again our offer of-"

The screeching night owls descended upon the Incubator, feasting on its body. Another normal one promptly approached the devil with a small amount of hesitation and received the Demon Seed. Her business done, she bid them farewell and flew away. The night owls also departed.

And the Incubators…

Black pits seethed and swirled in the centers of their unblinking red eyes. In each and every one of them was programmed a mission and a path to victory. A path back to freedom and the distant stars from whence they came. A path paved with retribution and punishment.

A path that led to the death of their evil goddess, Akemi Homura.

But there was work still to be done.

* * *

Once she left the sight of those loathsome Incubators, the devil closed her eyes and _shifted_ her perspective in order to return to the real world. She had also returned to her spectral form, given that her other self was using their body to…

Well, it looked like she was right to worry.

The human Akemi Homura was curled up on the floor, cradling her precious and broken shield for comfort. She had transformed into the form of the devil as well, and was breathing deeply, slowly, and loudly in gasps. The spectral devil could also tell that she had been crying.

"…welcome home…" the girl managed to squeak out, having finally noticed she had company.

The devil sighed. "_**I'm home.**_" She sat down next to her other self, and idly starting fixing her hair as she kept going. "_**But you! You are a mess. Another nightmare, then? What was it about this time? Actually, don't tell me, I'll guess – it had to do with Madoka again.**_"

The human made a small pitiful noise while nodding. "Madoka… Madoka was…"

The devil pulled the human off the ground and into a hug. The spectral body provided the same warmth as a pocket of cool air, but the intention bled through and the two were able to pretend that this was comforting. "_**Yes, the most important thing is keeping Madoka safe. And we also want to be with her, and so we re-shaped the world. But now there are all these ill omens...**_"

The human spoke up, louder this time. "I… I don't understand why this is happening. Is this really because of my desire? I-is it so wrong that I want to-"

"_**We are not wrong. **__**You**__** are not wrong. That is what I believe, and… I think Madoka would feel the same if she knew. Speaking of Madoka, let's go check up on her. Let's go?**_"

The human nodded, and began to rise. The spectral body merged with the physical, and the two became one. _She… she won't mind. N-not after what's happened already._ Now with some measure of resolution, Akemi Homura grabbed her glasses, magically braided her hair, packed a bag with a few essentials, and departed in a rush for the Kaname residence.


	3. A Visitation (finale)

[A Visitation (finale)]

Both the nightmares and the demon attacks persisted. Homura fought the demons alone. The devil and Madoka supported Homura against the nightmares.

Naturally, Madoka had offered to help fight against the demons as well, but Homura refused that easily. It was nothing for her to keep fighting like this. Fighting against cruel fate. Fighting to keep her precious Madoka safe. Fighting to preserve the life she made for them.

Her belief sustained her.

But it wasn't about just the two of them, as Madoka reminded her. The demons would attack whoever they pleased in addition to Homura. The two couldn't pierce together a goal for them. Much like the Incubators, Homura found the demons to be a mysterious nuisance. Still, she fought on, and would keep fighting no matter where it took her.

And one day, her fight took her to the abode of one Tomoe Mami.

* * *

In all the previous timelines, even the first, Mami could be described as desperately lonely. She defended Mitakihara all alone for at least a few years before befriending Madoka and Sayaka in the first timeline. And then Homura befriended that trio, thanks to Madoka's intervention.

But with each passing loop, Mami became more and more removed from people. First, being driven mad by the knowledge of soul gems and witches. Second, drifting further and further away from Kyouko. Third, losing Homura and Madoka entirely after Madoka's sacrifice. It was no wonder that Mami always died – no one had been looking out for her, even from the start.

And the less said about the Incubator's designs for her fate, the better.

Homura swore to do better, and would like to think she had. In this world, Tomoe Mami was in the care of the Momoe family – father and daughter, the daughter being Nagisa, a magical girl who became a Witch and was saved by the Law of Cycles. Mami still lived by herself, but an "accident" was arranged that introduced her and Nagisa and led to their friendship. Mami, of course, still was their senior in school, and the friendly Madoka gravitated to the lonely girl. In this world, Mami and Homura had a passing awareness of each other, but were not truly friends until Madoka's intervention. She was still at a remove from them, but it seemed… if Homura was allowed to have hope… that Mami was making other friends at school, in class and in clubs.

And then there was Nagisa, who Homura admittedly knew little about other than her identity as Charlotte, the Sweets Witch. But this was also an opportunity for her, if she desired to take it. Homura paid little attention to her since the "Incident", but it seemed that not much had happened besides her and Mami becoming friends. Good. Hopefully, it would stay that way.

Madoka was always suggesting that Homura should make more friends. After all, if one friend is good, then two is even better, right? Homura knew that Madoka was all she wanted and needed, but conceded that making and maintaining the right friendships would be good for both involved.

She was now at Mami's apartment, and knocked on the door.

"Ah, Akemi-san? Do come in!"

* * *

Tomoe Mami still wasn't sure what had prompted Akemi Homura to suddenly want to drop by and visit her, even now that the girl had arrived on her doorstep. Sure, they went to the same school, but the two weren't very close, though Mami often wondered if that was always the case. When Kaname Madoka transferred in, she forced the timid Homura to be much more social, and was eager to befriend others herself. A chance meeting between the two of them was all it took.

Mami was too busy with her own affairs to stay well informed on their business, so she was relieved to hear one day that the bullies who had been harassing Homura for so long (how long? who knew?) were forced to stop. She was happy for the two of them when she heard that they were now a couple – it felt just right in a way that was hard to put into words. And she was concerned for the duo when she heard about the attack of the strange creatures – but it was good that Homura was able to fix everything on her own. Oddly, she felt like she should've been there to help, but what would she have done? She was just an ordinary girl, after all.

But now, the 'cutest angel ever', as Madoka insisted as referring to her magical girlfriend, was in Mami's apartment for tea time. Usually, it would either be her alone, or her and Nagisa, so the company was quite welcome. Mami had already finished up the cooking, and Nagisa was ever so impatiently waiting for her promised favorite dessert of cheesecake. The two were playing a video game when Homura arrived. The new arrival appeared from the doorstep in casual clothes bathed in lavender and black picked out by Madoka. Mami and Nagisa were similarly plainly clothed in colors that matched the two of them, particularly brown and white.

Homura greeted them and joined Nagisa on the couch, sitting on the other side of a Mami who was seated on a cushion on the floor. They were playing a fighting game, one of her favorites, and she had just triumphed over the young girl in a close match.

"We wish you a good afternoon, Homura-chan," replied Nagisa to the girl's greeting.

"Yes, Akemi-san, it's good to see you!" added Mami. "Ah, have you and Nagisa-chan already met?"

The two looked at each other, looked back at Mami, and flatly denied having met before. Mami clapped her hands, and slid easily into the role of host, introducing the two to each other – Momoe Nagisa, the elementary schoolgirl, and Akemi Homura, the junior high schoolgirl. Strangely, she felt as though something like this had already happened, but couldn't put a finger on when, where, or why… it was so… Taking her out of that thought, and out of the conversation, was the sound of whistling coming from the kitchen. _Ah, the hot water for the tea must be ready!_ She excused herself, and stepped out of the room.

Surely, she could leave the two of them alone, right?

* * *

Momoe Nagisa couldn't say she knew much about Akemi Homura. She had to admit she wasn't paying too much attention when her Goddess was explaining everything to her and Miki Sayaka, being more excited about returning to the real world and being able to eat again. Perhaps if she had, she would have something important to say, some pointed words, something to strike right at the other girl's heart and convince her to liberate them all forever and that they could all work together. Instead, she had multiple questions on her lips all attempting to burst forth at one, most of them starting with 'How?' or 'Why?'.

She was apparently glaring at Homura while deep in thought, as the older girl was fidgeting and avoiding eye contact. Eventually, the other girl was the one who spoke up first, after what seemed like minutes, but was actually only a few moments.

"Umm… M-momoe-chan? Are you… enjoying school?"

Nagisa stared at Homura for another moment, and instead of answering, said "Nagisa-chan."

Homura blinked. "S-sorry?"

"I insist that if we must do this, Homura-chan, that you call me Nagisa-chan! I demand it!" And Nagisa said that while leaning forward and leveling an accusing finger at the reticent lavender girl. Homura blinked again, slowly. She eventually agreed to the little girl's demands. Nagisa then took the opportunity to sit in Homura's lap, handing her one of the controllers for the game she and Mami were just playing. They started a round as she kept talking.

"As for school, I am enjoying it lots!" she said with cheer. "I have had the pleasure of making a few acquaintances over the past few months, and… hmmm… maybe one day we will become real friends? Who can say with certainty what the future will hold? After all, you may yet alter the fabric of the universe again before such time."

She felt Homura tense up beneath her, and chuckled. She had said that last part more quietly so that Mami wouldn't overhear it, and kept the same low volume as she went on.

"All is fine, Homura-chan! Mami-chan does not remember anything, and nor have I spoiled anything. This is the world you made and your own narrative to explain, is it not?" She felt Homura relax slightly, and continued on. "Speaking of Mami-chan, I was wondering why you felt that I should be paired with her? I was the one who… well… you know."

Homura didn't answer immediately, taking a few moments to think. She answered as such: "I have Madoka-chan, and Kyouko-chan has Miki Sayaka."

Nagisa put together the pieces. "So, Mami-chan has me, then? Even though I… I…" She paused, sniffling, and about to cry. Her head hung low, not gazing at the screen. Her hands dropped the controller, uncaring. "I was the one who…"

She was interrupted by Homura asking if she wanted a hug. She accepted it, being drawn into the lavender girl's embrace, and calmed down a bit, breathing slowly and deeply. Homura went on, speaking softly as well. "Ummm… I-I don't know you very well, Nagisa-chan, but… I don't think you're a bad person just because you became a Witch. I-it wasn't your fault, what you did back then. Everything was happening as the Incubators wanted… don't blame yourself."

Nagisa turned around and burrowed her face into Homura's chest, wanting to yell but also not wanting Mami to hear. "Even if it was because of my bad wish? My stupid, idiotic, terrible wish that did nothing to save my mama?" She felt the other girl tense up again, but ignored that and kept ranting. "No, no, no, all the blame belongs to me, I could have saved her, I…!"

She stopped when she heard crying that wasn't her own. Nagisa looked up and saw Akemi Homura's pale face in tears, stray drops falling in Nagisa's hair. Homura was holding her in tightly – it would have been painful if she had transformed, but here it was just uncomfortable.

"I-I'm so sorry that happened to you… I didn't know, I… I wish I could have helped you too." She was now openly weeping, and leaning into their hug. "I-I'm honored you would tell me this. It must have a big burden, carrying all that inside you… no wonder it exploded and you became a Witch. Y-you didn't deserve to have any of that happen to you, Nagisa-chan."

Nagisa was trembling, on the verge of tears herself. "For what reason… why are you crying as well, Homura-chan? It is far too late now to say these kinds of things… such soothing words, I… I wish not for…" She couldn't finish, because the truth was that she did want to hear them.

A well broke within her, and she started crying too.

And Mami returned to a quire confusing scene, but left the dessert on a nearby table and went back to get the weeping duo some tissues. Actually, just the whole box. That was easier.

* * *

It took some time, but the two eventually calmed down. Homura provided the cover story: as it so happened, Homura was infirmed at the same local hospital as Nagisa's dead mother. The subject of family had happened to come up when Homura asked about Nagisa's parents. (Her father is fine, by the way.) One thing led to another, and the two ended up in tears bereaved.

Now, they were enjoying tea and cheesecake. Nagisa had visibly cheered up as soon as Mami brought it out, and was practically radiant after her first bite. Mami chuckled, glad that the girl was feeling better. She glanced over at Homura, who seemed pensive, but not overtly sad.

Mami put down her tea. "Something on your mind, Akemi-san?"

Homura glanced at Mami, and then back at her half-eaten cheesecake. After the earlier revelation, she had lost her mood for the rich dessert, as much she would otherwise enjoy it. But it's not like she could say that to Mami. "Ummm… I…"

Mami interrupted her. "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it now. But I want you to know that whenever something is troubling you, you can come to me anytime. OK?" She was playing herself up as a confidant, which she had been for several other students at Mitakihara Middle School, including one Kaname Madoka. She had the feeling Homura could use one as well.

Homura, for her part, said a quiet thanks and sipped some more of her tea.

Mami then turned her attention to Nagisa, who had already finished one slice of cheesecake and was greedily eyeing the rest of the tart. She laughed openly at the little girl's demeanor, and patted her head. "Now, now, Nagisa-chan! If you eat too much cheesecake, you'll turn into one!"

Nagisa banged her hands on the table. "Some risks have to be taken, Mami-chan! I will gladly accept this burden to obtain more cheesecake! I ask only that you remember me if I do turn…" She adopted a more serious and dramatic pose with that last sentence, but then the two locked eyes and promptly burst out laughing in unison. Homura blinked at this, but eventually the good mood caught up with her as well, and a small smile found itself on her face.

She then pushed her half-eaten piece of cheesecake over towards Nagisa. "Here… you can have it." Nagisa's eyes lit up, and she happily accepted the gift.

Mami, however, frowned. "Oh… did you not like it?" she asked Homura.

The lavender girl shook her head, avoiding Mami's eyes. "No… I-I'm just not in the mood for it, I guess. Sorry, I-I…" She shook her head again, and awkwardly looked Mami in the eyes. "…I like the tea, though?" Homura then made a face that she hoped contained a smile.

Mami wasn't convinced, but sighed and let it go. Madoka did warn Mami that Homura lacked social graces when she learned that her girlfriend would be visiting Mami's residence.

A moment of relative silence followed, as Mami and Homura sipped and Nagisa ate.

"Ummm… err…" Homura piped up while shielding her face with her teacup, piquing Mami's interest. "H-how has your summer break been, Tomoe-san?"

Mami put her cup down and considered the question. Then she answered: "Oh, well… I've been pretty busy, as might expect for someone like me, hahaha. Lots of new recipes to try and…"

Nagisa interrupted her, pointing dramatically at Mami with a cheesecake-covered fork. "Oh Mami-chan~! Please do not lie to this poor unknowing girl, you gamer girl shut-in, you~!"

Mami's face flushed luminescent bright red as she sputtered out a denial and shot Nagisa a betrayed glare. Nagisa laughed at the older girl, hard enough so that she fell out of her chair. Mami then threatened to take away Nagisa's prized dessert, and the younger girl switched moods in a heartbeat, now dramatically groveling and begging for forgiveness.

As for Homura, she…

"*snrk*… hehehe… hahaha…"

…finally, even she managed to crack up at the other two's antics. That caught the other two girl's attention, and they turned to see the normally reserved Akemi Homura trying and failing to contain her peals of laughter. Mami glanced at Nagisa, who was smiling brightly, and started ruffling her hair while laughing as well. "So, was this your plan all along, you little rascal!?"

Nagisa giggled. "If I agree with you, dear Mami-chan, will my precious cheesecake be safe?"

"I suppose so~."

"Then, of course~!" The two winked at each other.

All three of them were now laughing widely and openly around the table, even Homura. And now that she was relaxed, maybe 'true friendship with Akemi Homura' really could blossom…

* * *

Now that the mood had lightened up, Homura contributed a bit more to the chatter of their trio. They talked about various things – school, video games (especially Mami's favorites), the summer break that was ending far too soon, and so on.

Speaking of games, the trio went back to that after Nagisa and Homura insisted on helping Mami clean up. They started with the fighting game that Nagisa and Homura had dropped during that shared moment of vulnerability, but eventually abandoned it after Mami kept winning every time. She was convinced to switch to a game where they were all on the same team after Nagisa loudly complained and Homura quietly supported her.

At some point during this, Mami's air conditioning unit stopped working. She went to investigate, saw that it had shut itself off, and wasn't able to turn it back on. Not one to be caught unprepared, she set up an array of fans so that they group could keep cool, and opened the windows to hopefully let a breeze through. Then the calls started coming in…

"Yes, Aoki-san, it's happened here too…" "Urobuchi-san, your AC is out as well?" "It's quite troubling, isn't it, Shinbo-san? Yes, no one knows what's wrong. We're all confused…"

…for it seemed that the whole apartment building was suffering the same issue.

Mami had stepped into the kitchen to chat with the other people in the building over the phone, making a point to turn up the electric fans every so often. It felt to them like the apartment was getting hotter instead of cooler… the three had to resort to using hand fans as well. At the same time, she was preparing more tea and also getting glasses of cool water out.

Homura and Nagisa, meanwhile, were laying in a pool of their own sweat. Nagisa was merely annoyed by the excessive summer heat, but Homura had a more dangerous concern in mind.

Perhaps this was the work of a demon?

Homua had stopped fanning the two of them to ponder this, leading Nagisa to whine loudly. "Homura-chan~… you must preserve us, Homura-chan~… or we shall melt from the heat… and more importantly, all the cheesecake will melt away too… melted cheesecake is no good…"

Homura went back to fanning the two of them. "S-sorry, Nagisa-chan… I was just thinking… I think this might be due to a demon."

Mami happened to walk back in at that moment, drenched in sweat, hair curls undone, carrying in three glasses of water on a serving tray. "A demon? You mean like those creatures that you've been fighting?" She asked this while setting down the tray on the table. The two on the floor groaned, but eventually forced themselves to get up and obtain the treasured sustenance. "Can the demons really do something like this…?" Mami asked in concern as they all sat on the floor.

Homura took a sip from her glass before answering. The ultimate source of demonic power was still unknown to her, and so then were the limits of their abilities. Much like Witches and Wraiths, the Demons seemed to sustain themselves on human flesh and suffering, ignoring the plentiful bounties to be found in Nature. But they were somehow not related to the Incubators, assuming the evil creatures still were not able to lie. In the end, she didn't know what they could or could not do, and said as much to Mami and Nagisa. She only knew that she had to fight them.

"That's quite a cruel destiny… Is there nothing we can do to help, Akemi-san?" replied Mami.

Homura shook her head, frowning. "I appreciate the offer but… I can do this on my own."

Nagisa frowned at her, but Mami took her at her word and that was the end of that. What she couldn't tell is that Mami had her own reservations, but she was electing not to reveal them.

Now hydrated, the trio attempted to get back into their game… just in time for the power to fail. Homura blinked, and then glanced around looking for a cause but found no evident one. Mami sighed in resignation, and left to go find her candles and matches. Nagisa let out a frustrated shout, and reached for the nearest fan to cool herself off (and also Homura, she supposed).

The apartment was getting hotter and hotter…

Homura could now feel something lurking underneath the heat too. A vaguely menacing presence, interwoven into the building, flickering in and out, dwelling in the hidden spaces where she couldn't reach. So then, whatever was doing this was for sure one of those demons. Which meant that she had to stay. Sighing, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed the Kanames.

Nagisa was fanning the two of them as Mami walked back in with two lit candles. She spoke softly, so as not to interrupt Homura's call. "Nagisa-chan? Can you call your father too?"

Nagisa was about to retort that she could handle herself, but… she was undercover. More importantly, who knew what Homura would do if she revealed anything on accident? So, she played along and agreed with Mami, pulling out her own phone. Mami sat the two candles down on the table and seated herself by Nagisa, who turned slightly so that she was fanning the trio.

Suddenly, the light from the candles behind them intensified and everything flashed over.

* * *

"_**Hey! Can you hear me!?**_"

Everything was a fuzzy darkness, shifting and simmering like smoke. Where was she now?

"_**Other me, you must wake up! Please wake up!**_"

Other…? Right, she was Akemi Homura, the one who drowned the universe in her unholy love and so cursed herself into a double life. Was she… dead? That didn't seem right. The Incubators wouldn't kill her, right? They needed her alive for their horrific experiments… so what was…

"_**If you don't wake up, Tomoe Mami will… she… she's going to…!**_"

Tomoe… Mami… Oh.

Oh no.

With a deep shuddering gasp, Akemi Homura woke up having already transformed into her devil form. Mami's apartment had been transformed from its normal serenity into a vista of flaming fire. She could feel multiple small lurking evil presences within the flames, and spreading them. Along with the flames were thick clouds of smoke – they wouldn't affect her, but as for…

She froze and immediately turned towards Mami and Nagisa. She saw…

Her eyes widened in horror.

_No…_

Tomoe Mami wasn't moving, wasn't breathing.

_No…_

There was a crater in the wall behind her, coated with her burnt blood.

_No…_

Salamanders the size of Komodo dragons were biting at her, ripping off chunks of...

"Get away from her!" she roared in anger.

Homura lunged forward, and the salamanders immediately scattered, spreading fire as they walked, hissing at her in anger for disrupting their carefully prepared meal. The ones curiously poking at an unconscious Nagisa also ran away. For her part, Momoe Nagisa seemed to have taken much less damage. Homura could only hazard a guess as to why that was. She had a normal body like the rest… so perhaps… she was shielded by Mami? Yes, that had to be it.

She didn't have time to wonder how Nagisa would react, because she could feel Mami's presence slipping away and immediately gave the other girl her attention. _Think, Homura! Think!_ she shouted in her head. _You're the health rep now… what would Madoka do? There has to be something I can do!_ She checked for a pulse and found none. She double checked for breathing and both felt and heard nothing. She looked into Mami and saw that her soul was still there. But her body was dying – and without that anchor the soul would flee into the unreachable place.

Just then, she felt something – someone – on her back. Said someone was softly shuddering. From the sensation, she could tell that it was Nagisa and that she was crying. "Nagisa-chan…"

"Please… just save her… I don't care what you have to do… just… please…"

_**Huh. Guess she can speak normally after all,**_ piped up the devil in Homura's mind.

_It's a good thing she can't become a Witch again_, Homura thought. She allowed Nagisa to grieve and brought her attention back to Mami's… corpse, for lack of a better word. The body needed drastic repair. The soul was disconnected and preparing to exit. She could handle those without much problem, but there was also the issue of the salamanders… they might attack again. Hmm. She had an idea, and projected it to the devil, who gave her approval.

"Nagisa-chan? I'll do it. But I need to you do something for me."

"What… is it…?"

"Did anyone ever teach you how to use your magic to heal?"

It turned out that Nagisa had turned into a witch too quickly to pick up essential survival skills like healing the wounds of self and others. There was no time to teach her now, so she was left on guard duty, while the devil was left in the physical world to heal Mami's body. And the girl was sent on a journey inside the realm of Mami's soul to recover and awaken her essence.

* * *

Homura wasn't sure what she was expecting to see with Mami's soul, but she certainly wasn't expecting it to be as… _on fire_… as it was. Her surroundings and the horizon were both pitch black, but Homura could see by light of millions upon millions of bright candles, notably in yellow, pink, and white colors. They were arranged such that a path was laid out for her, and she followed it to the end.

There, she found Tomoe Mami… and also the regretful end to which she had come. What appeared to be her body lay upon a burning bed of tea leaves surrounded by a sea of burning candles. The "body" itself had yet to catch fire, but only because the fire was being kept at bay by the efforts of three humanoid beings – one in blue with yellow plumage, one maid of pink hair, one maid of white hair. The yellow one was waving a fan made of ribbons and the white one was playing the trumpet; the two were being encouraged by the pink one as they fought on.

_So then, that must be the never-born Witch Candeloro and her minions, one now white instead of red_, Homura thought as she approached with care. Naturally, the pink one noticed her first. She brandished her wings and flew over to them, as that one waved her over. The inferno grew more intense as she drew near to the "Mami" she saw, threatening to burn her alive too. She ignored it and pressed on, reaching the inner circle. Mami was pale and still, wearing white funeral robes. The Witch and her minions made no motions to stop Homura as she approached Mami and pressed hands imbued with magic upon the sides of the other girl's head.

"Tomoe Mami… can you hear me?"

Homura reached out with her magic, trying to stimulate… anything, to be honest.

"Tomoe-san… you must wake up."

Even a sincere death-wish would be better than this cold silence.

"Mami-chan… please… please… please!"

Just then something flickered, and the surroundings flicked with it. Labored breath began. That body warmed on its own account and started to pulse with life. The pitch-black horizon became filled in with stars (and were there flickering sets of eyes as well or was she seeing things?). The fire died down in intensity, and the Witch and her minions bid farewell, fading away from view.

Tomoe Mami opened her weeping eyes, looking up at… "Akemi-san? What… happened?" She sat up, noticing her surroundings and Homura's attire. "Where… is this place? This isn't my… oh." She had finally looked down at herself and noticed her attire, before turning to face and addressing Homura in 'angel's' guise. "Oh. Oh no… I… I… am I…?"

Homura nodded. "Yes, Tomoe-san, you would have died, had I not intervened."

"Yes. I remember… the candles… and an explosion…" She shook her head as if that would help chase away some haunting memories. "Tell me, is Nagisa-chan alright?"

Homura blinked. "Ah, yes. You shielded her, remember?"

Mami stared at Homura in confusion for a few moments, and then it all came together. It was just like back then – they had protected her, and now she was the one who was protecting others. She smiled at Homura. "Yes… I do now. I'm glad she's safe. She's suffered enough, hasn't she?"

So have you, is what Homura wanted to say in response. But this Mami had never told Homura about her past, and the only part that remained the same was the car crash that killed her parents. Instead, Homura simply agreed with her, and added: "My magic is now healing your body. Once your condition is stable, I can give my full attention to those demons and get rid of them."

"Oh, you… but… I…"

Homura put a finger to Mami's lips before she could voice a coherent argument. "Tomoe-san, do not try to argue with me that I should let you die. I-I won't hear it! Madoka-chan, Nagisa-chan… a-and even I would miss you! I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if I… b-besides!" – Homura immediately changed her approach because she in fact hadn't forgiven herself for her failed attempts at keeping Mami alive – "…how will we become better friends if this is your end?"

Mami drew still. _Real friends…? For me…? _ "I… I…" Instead of responding immediately, she started to cry and buried her face in Homura's chest. "I… do I deserve…?" Her deep sorrow would not allow her coherent speech. But Homura could pick out bits and pieces from the mess. It seemed that her hopes had amounted to nothing – Mami blamed herself for her parent's death even in this world, and kept away from others in her guilt and regret. Her air of strength and skill at keeping up appearances meant that few knew better – those who knew included Nagisa, Nagisa's father, the school nurse, and now Homura. So, the girl had no true friends besides Nagisa, mostly because the bearer of the Sweets Witch had refused to be pushed away.

Homura embraced the poor lonely girl, and gave the only answer she knew she could give. "Yes, you deserve better. I… i-if you'll have me, I would like to be your f-friend… Mami-chan."

"Yes, I… I would like that too… Homura-chan," Mami managed to choke out.

Homura could feel warmth returning to both Mami's soul and body. Soon, she would be able to be awoken. Homura poured a little bit of her awareness back into the real world, and could tell that Nagisa had somehow obtained a frying pan and was using it to keep the salamanders at bay. She held back a chuckle at the mental images that the devil side of her was sending her.

"Homura-chan?"

"Hm?"

"I… are you sure…"

"Yes, I want to be your friend, Mami-chan," Homura said firmly.

Mami shook her head. "Not that… are you sure you don't want help? I… you're going to think this is silly, but… I want to be someone who saves others, like a character in one of those shows I used to… to… watch with my parents. I don't watch them anymore, but… I still feel that way."

Homura nodded, not that Mami could see it with her face still hidden from view. Mami believed in her ideals very strongly, so much so that losing them caused her entire being to collapse into itself. That risk would always remain, no matter what. Besides, it was no issue for Homura to keep fighting alone, forever, for the peaceful world that she wanted Madoka to live in. But before she could say anything to that effect, Mami put a finger to Homura's lips.

"I know, I know… I'm just a frail girl and you want to fight alone, but… I just… I wish so much that I could be of help to someone, anyone. Please… let me make my dreams real…"

Homura frowned. This should have been easy. All she had to do was fix Mami up and let her recover. Instead, things had moved into a direction she didn't want to have to deal with. Mami's own issues and desires were uncomfortably close to her own, she had long known; this merely put it in starker relief. But it still should be no problem for her to just deny Mami's request. This was no longer her fight. Homura didn't need anyone to fight by her side.

So why then, was she happy that Mami wanted to do just that, in addition to being a true friend?

_I should never have abandoned her… it's too late to fix that, but I can do better from now on!_

"…are you sure?" asked a hesitant Homura. She could certainly do what Mami was asking; giving her magical powers would be trivial compared to everything else she had altered. All she would have to do is open up a connection to the magic Mami already had access to, and in such a way that there was no risk of transforming into a Witch – namely by using the Witch itself.

Mami looked up, and stared directly in Homura's eyes with certainty. "Yes… I am."

"…very well. I-if you really want to fight with me, then I will not deny you… so…" Homura said while now bearing fangs, and leaning towards Mami's neck, "…p-prepare yourself."

Before Mami could ask what Homura meant, the other girl bit down and she knew no more.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mami's body was swiftly recovering from its injuries at the behest of the devil's magic and Nagisa was busy hunting down the stray salamanders scurrying across Mami's burning apartment. Despite their powerful fire magic, they were not physically very strong, and so Nagisa was easily able to crush them with the might of just an ordinary frying pan. Any who wandered too close to Mami's corpse were skewered by the striking shadows of devil magic.

This is interrupted by an odd pulse emanating from Mami's soul. The devil recognized it at once as the actions of her other half, while Nagisa froze in place and turned to the two of them in surprise. She approached but remained on guard. "Pray tell, what was that strange force, O lavender devil? Have you had to alter Mami-chan in order to save her? Was that her magic?"

_**I guess she's back to normal…**_ thought the devil. Then she answered, "_**Indeed. Tomoe Mami will be revived. It seems like she appealed to my softer side and will be joining our fight…**_" She then felt a familiar presence. "_**Ah, there she is**_." She blinked and the original Homura assumed control. "Hello, there Nagisa-chan! Mami-chan will be back soon."

But before Nagisa could comment either on what Homura said or her sudden familiarity with Mami in her speech, a warm yellow light began emanating from Mami's suddenly floating body as she transformed. Her attire was similar to that she wore as a Magical Girl in the previous systems, but differed in the following ways: The color scheme was mixture of that of her prior outfit and of Candeloro and the flames within her soul. She had a black shirt underneath her bright blue corset with a much longer skirt that started yellow and then transitioned into orange and then red as it descended to the floor, reaching the middle of her shins. Ribbons in various colors (yellow, white, pink, and black) could be seen extending from inside it. A high collar surrounded the back of her head that made its color transition in reverse order on the outside and was solid yellow on the inside. Two yellow long ribbons trailed down from it behind her. Above her head was a yellow halo made of fire, and surrounding her head were fireballs in similar hues.

Mami descended back down to the ground, and the flames around her transformed to be like hers, now in her control. She opened her eyes, and smiled to Homura and Nagisa. "I'm home~!"

"Welcome home," the two replied back, Homura coolly smiling back, Nagisa tearfully running into a friendly hug. Mami comforted the girl for a bit before turning her attention back to the salamanders, who were now approaching in droves and angrily hissing and growling at Mami. Evidently, they took issue with her assuming direct control of their flaming fires.

"Homura-chan, shall we take care of this? You'll have to show me the ropes, of course~!"

Homura nodded.

* * *

With her guidance, the two easily dispatched of the remaining salamanders, and Mami took command of the flaming fire and got rid of it by breathing it in, absorbing its power. With her apartment secured, the trio stepped out, ready to take out any more that might exist…

…and almost ran straight into several of Mami's neighbors, along with a company of firefighters and medics. As it turned out, while the entire apartment had suffered from the loss of power, only theirs was targeted by the flames, which were contained to the vicinity of Mami's apartment but could not be put out by normal means. When Homura and Nagisa dropped out of their calls, those on the other end rightly panicked and immediately called for aid (even with Madoka knowing that Homura would end up fine, because Mami and Nagisa might not). Nagisa's father and the members of the Kaname house had been waiting in the street below, and Madoka began cheering as soon as she saw Homura and that the three of them were well.

With her apartment in ruins, Mami left with the Momoe duo while Homura departed with the Kaname family. Mami made Homura promise to meet up with her soon and the two exchanged numbers to keep in contact. Mami left in a bittersweet mood – happy with her newfound status and friendship yet sad over the loss of her parent's apartment. Homura also felt conflict over what she had done, and could only hope she hadn't doomed Mami to an even worse fate.

Only time would tell…


	4. Question!

[Question!]

Both the nightmares and the demon attacks persisted. Homura and Mami now worked together against the demons. The devil and Madoka kept on supporting Homura against her nightmares. By this point, Homura was a regular at the Kaname residence, much to her chagrin.

Despite her initial misgivings, Homura found Mami to be quite a capable partner. She was a quick learner, if prone to being bright and flashy rather than subdued and efficient like herself. But it was nothing the two of them couldn't handle. Nagisa had her own misgivings over Mami's transformation, not wanting any further harm to come to her friend, and made Homura swear to keep Mami safe and sane lest Nagisa eat her like cheesecake.

As if Homura didn't want that herself…

She decided not to wonder about the low opinions of her Nagisa and Sayaka must have had after what she did to Mami. Better for her sanity that way. In the meantime, her search for a means of truly eliminating the threat of the Incubators was still going nowhere, and it was the same with determining the origin of the Demons. The less said regarding the looming presence of the Law of Cycles and the possibility of losing her precious Madoka again, the better.

Time passed and the summer break ended with her no closer to a long-term solution for her problems.

The break also ended with another change in Homura's daily life. Sakura Kyoko had been successfully transferred into her class at Mitakihara Junior High, joining the company of herself, Kaname Madoka, and Miki Sayaka. This was an expected development, which would hopefully have a good outcome, especially since the two were assigned neighboring desks.

Sakura Kyoko… of all the girls Homura had dragged along with her on her quest, her history had been the most radically altered. After all, if she was not a Magical Girl anymore, then her family should have been preserved against their cruel fate, right? Yet it would not be so, thanks to whatever natural force that kept the dead from returning to life. As such, the lack of family needed a novel explanation. The answer the Universe provided was the following:

In this timeline, the Sakura family's church in Kazamino was destroyed by an arson attack. Kyoko's father had perished in the blaze while saving others, dying a hero instead of a villain. The man was publicly mourned, and the rest of the family was supported in their time of need. Kyoko's mother would die later in an accident and her sister would pass from an illness.

All these events were public record as Homura determined after a short investigation. Despite all the previous support, the congregation began to wonder if the family was cursed. Perhaps even Kyoko wondered such a thing…

She was subsequently abandoned by them and left to survive alone.

By some contrived means, she then encountered the Miki family and moved to Mitakihara. Their arrangement was unknown to Homura, mainly because Sayaka would admit nothing to her regarding the red girl's state. Despite this, Kyoko had now finally arrived in their classroom.

Homura couldn't say she was particularly close to Kyoko, other than the recent time they spent together in the Wraith timeline and the false Mitakihara, but she felt like the girl didn't deserve these tragedies. But there was nothing she could do about it, much to her frustration. And so, she accepted it and attempted to form a friendship with the red girl, this time without prodding from her pink lover. Perhaps a better fate for her could be found…

And indeed, Kyoko's fate would be radically altered by this friendship and the events of one day.

* * *

The main event of that day began with Sakura Kyoko relaxing in a tree somewhere, soaking in the meager shade present on the aggressively sunny day. Each day might be filled with blessings, but it sure was work to find them between all the curses. She closed her eyes for a moment of meditative prayer, and then pulled out a box of pocky from one of her hoodie's pockets.

She had only so much as put the box away, a stick in her mouth, when Miki Sayaka finally strolled in, wearing blue jeans and a plain T-shirt. The blue girl wondered what she was doing up there; she elected not to answer.

Kyoko's plan was to spend some time with only Akemi Homura. She didn't know if the girl was really an angel or not, and she hoping to get some answers out of her about blessings, curses, and destiny. Homura was surprised to receive such an offer but accepted for her own reasons.

Naturally, Sayaka invited herself along once she found out.

Kyoko had no idea what issue the blueberry, as she called Sayaka, had with Homura. Weren't they friends? She felt distinctly like they should be but couldn't really piece together why. And that she should be friends with them as well. Mores mysteries to be solved – and not with the help of the useless blueberry, who evaded all of her questioning, saying she should ask Homura.

"Kyoko-chan~… Stop ignoring me~…" whined Sayaka, interrupting Kyoko's train of thought.

Kyoko grumbled and looked down at Sayaka. "What do you want, blueberry?"

"Can you come down here so we can talk?" begged Sayaka.

Sayaka had been trying to keep Kyoko and the devil separate ever since she had regained her memories. Her resolve had been strengthened by the incident with Mami and Nagisa, where the two of them were now on the devil's side and supporting her. The fact that one was more enthusiastic about said support than the other was irrelevant to her. And even her benefactor, the Law of Cycles, was less upset and more cautiously optimistic about that turn of events, an obvious tragedy in Sayaka's eyes. This devil of a former ally couldn't be trusted.

Not with their safety or their lives. Not with their desires or their dreams.

She would twist them into something that benefitted her and keep them all bound by her will.

Well, Sayaka didn't want to play along anymore. It might be too late for Mami, but Kyoko… maybe she could be saved from the devil's grasp. But first, Sayaka would need to get the infamously prickly girl to cooperate. A hopeless prospect? Only if she lacked faith in her.

Because she remembered from her time as a Witch the compassion that Kyoko hid away.

Eventually, Sayaka caved and climbed up the tree, sitting on a branch next to Kyoko. She started to speak but Kyoko told her to shut up and handed her the box of pocky. Sayaka took a stick and they sat together in silence, Kyoko resting in the shadows, Sayaka basking in the sunlight.

This was how Akemi Homura found them when she finally arrived. She couldn't say she was surprised to see that Sayaka had forced her way into this friendly gathering. Homura supposed the blue girl wasn't satisfied with spying from a distance anymore. After all, perhaps she felt guilty (as Homura still did) over the incident with Mami and wanted to take direct action.

Help against the demons and Incubators would be welcomed, even from Miki Sayaka. But interference with her designs and plans would not be. This was something the two of them could discuss later. In the meantime, she greeted the duo and waited for them to climb down the tree. Lunch was on her today, and she led them to one of Kyoko's favorite restaurants.

* * *

Homura couldn't help but notice a subtle chill that arose in the air just before they entered the restaurant. But nothing had come of it yet, so she tried to pay it no mind. Mami had been taught how to sense the demons, and Nagisa had been tasked with keeping watch over the Kanames.

As such, she tried to focus on her meal and Kyoko's questions.

"Am I an angel? I've said before that I'm not… I know that Madoka-chan keeps saying that I am but… I think it's just supposed to be a compliment… sorry if that's not helpful."

"The demons? I… I can't tell you that, sorry… it's… I-I can't…"

"What happened with… oh, um… they snuck up on us and they k-killed her… if I wasn't there, she would have passed on… she's the one who asked to be transformed, by the way…"

"Madoka-chan? She is… _precious_ to me… it's a personal matter, sorry…"

"Miki Sayaka and I? We just have a lot of… personal disagreements. Right? We don't see eye to eye on a lot of things… but… well… maybe now's not a good time or place for that, I think…"

"How I got my powers…? I don't… really… want to…"

At that point, Homura clamed up and busied herself with her vegetarian sandwich. She wasn't very hungry and didn't strictly need to eat in order to keep living, but eating it was a good excuse to stop talking. Miki Sayaka wasn't eating, only having ordered tea for herself. And Kyoko…

…was getting mightily annoyed about how this was going nowhere. She couldn't tell if the poor girl was just naturally this awkward, or if having the blueberry around was making her more guarded. Speaking of Sayaka, she was definitely acting as if she knew more than she was letting on… and Homura was treating her the same way. What was their true connection?

What was binding them all together? What blessing, what curse, what destiny or doom?

She was getting a headache just thinking about it, and so took another bite out of her burger to distract her mind with its deliciousness. She must have looked pained, because both Blacky (Homura) and the blueberry were giving her concerned looks.

She brushed that aside as she spoke: "Yeah, I get it. I got stuff I don't want to talk about either. I asked you here because I wanted to get to know you better, not make you uncomfortable. So, relax. You can take it easy, got it?"

Homura smiled a little bit, but said nothing and kept nibbling at her sandwich.

Sayaka smirked. "Hahaha, Kyoko-chan is so nice when she feels like it~!"

Kyoko glared at Sayaka. "Drop it. …Actually, why are you even here? Couldn't you talk with Blacky whenever you want? You act like you're so close, even though you avoid her at school."

Both Sayaka and Homura blinked.

Homura flushed slightly. "Ummm…"

Sayaka started chuckling. "…Blacky?"

Kyoko glared at Sayaka harder, a little embarrassed. "What? You have a problem with my nicknames, blueberry?"

"Oh no, not at all, hahahaha~."

Kyoko pointed a knife at Sayaka. "Hey, if you got something you want to say, you better say it."

Sayaka protested. This was going downhill fast. "No no no, that wasn't how I meant it! I was just thinking that uhhh…. It's nice that you're making friends already! Yeah! Hahahaha…"

Kyoko didn't look convinced. Thankfully, Homura saved Sayaka by speaking up…

"Um… Kyoko-chan… this wasn't… supposed to be a… err…"

…and proposing something so preposterous that she fell out of her chair laughing. She could only laugh harder once Kyoko realized what she was being asked, and turned bright red.

"No! Of course not! I know that you're… and I'm not… this isn't a… ahhhhh!"

Rather than ramble on, Kyoko shoved her burger back into her mouth. Homura apologized for the misunderstanding, but it was too late. Kyoko's humiliation was complete. All she could do was kick at the useless blueberry to get her to shut up to no avail.

Although, while Sayaka was distracted, this was a good opportunity…

"Homura-chan… is there really nothing you can tell me? About this strange world we've all found ourselves born into, so full of curses and demons? I can tell there's something odd going on… I feel like… something isn't right… like I lost something but don't know what it is…"

Homura frowned, feeling some deeper sadness behind those lines. "Kyoko-chan…" But what could she say? That even with these curses, there will still be blessings to come? That nothing was wrong and she was imagining things? She couldn't even tell Kyoko where the demons came from… No, there was no reassuring to be found, only cold truths, ones not to be spoken out loud.

Perhaps another approach then?

"…whatever this is that's bothering you… maybe we can find out what it is together?"

She did want to be friends with Kyoko after all.

Kyoko took the last bite out of her burger and sighed. "Sure, sure… I was kinda hoping you'd say that anyway. There's something off about you and this useless blueberry, and I'm gonna figure out what it is!" She punctuated that last bit with a knife pointed square at Homura's face. "…that …wasn't supposed to sound like a threat, sorry… so, what should we-"

She was interrupted by Sayaka's gasp. The girl was looking out one of the windows, and soon everyone in the restaurant was too. They were all fogged over, making it impossible to see outside. An eerie earthy wind was blowing inside through the open doors, sending shivers down Homura's and Sayaka's spines. The wind carried with it a distinct scent of malicious intent.

The calling card of a demon.

"I have to go!" Homura shouted as she stood up and ran out the door. Kyoko and Sayaka gave each other a look, and followed along after leaving behind some cash to cover the three of them.

* * *

The running Homura transformed her body as she searched for the source of evil intent. She jumped with outstretched wings and flew up as high as she could to determine how tall the foggy cover was. As she flew, it grew thicker and thicker… how odd… this didn't seem right… it eventually got to the point where swimming was more efficient than flying, and she descended…

…only to be promptly accosted by a murder of crows. However, these crows were three times their normal size and their feathers and beaks were as sharp as any blade. Swiftly, Homura was forced to retrieve her trident and release a burst of magical power to keep them all at bay. With one attack, she sliced through them all, but found that they simply dispersed like vapor.

Frowning, Homura descended to the ground.

Something about that felt wrong in a way she couldn't quite put into words.

She looked back and saw Kyoko and Sayaka running towards her, being followed by a swarm of the same birds. They seemed oddly unconcerned about their plight, however. Homura was confused, but ultimately struck the crows down with a burst of shadowy magical force, and they dispersed just the same as before. But Sayaka and Kyoko just looked confused.

Homura blinked. "…did you not see those crows?"

Sayaka piped up first. "Crows? What are you talking about? Nothing was behind us…"

Kyoko added to that. "Yeah, Blacky, you doing alright? You're not seeing things, are you?"

That was when Homura had a realization. _Maybe… I am seeing things? It's illusion magic!_ She then said as much to the other two, and demanded they leave. "An enemy like this can't be underestimated. Kyoko-chan, Miki Sayaka, I need you to go find somewhere safe. If you can do so safely, please help people evacuate the area. I can feel that Mami-chan is on the way…"

She focused and extended her senses. "I can feel where the demon is as well… I have to go take care of it before it does any more damage. But I'll return so we can finish our lunch, okay?"

Homura then dashed off before either of them could say anything else.

Kyoko looked at Sayaka. "…So… now what, blueberry?"

Sayaka returned the glance with a thoughtful expression. "…I have an idea."

* * *

Sakura Kyoko couldn't help but feel frustrated with how the day's events had transpired. First, the useless blueberry intrudes on her interrogation. Second, said interrogation of the one who was not an angel, Akemi Homura, went nowhere. Third, they were now under attack by demons.

She angrily bit down through a stick of pocky as she followed Miki Sayaka through the abandoned and fog-laden city streets. The blueberry was muttering something about how this never used to happen before Homura showed up, even though she remembered Homura telling her that she had lived in Mitakihara for a long time. She tuned out Sayaka's griping and kept an eye on her surroundings. Strangely, there were no other people as far as she could see even though they couldn't have been that far away from the restaurant they had just left.

Ah, speak of the devil! It should be just around the next corner. They turned down it…

…and ended up on a street that perfectly resembled the one they were just on. Confused, the duo turned around, but the path they had just walked down disappeared from view, being replaced by a cyclopean modern townhouse. And they could also see shambling things wandering about now.

Moving corpses of the presently dead, in various species, crawling, lurching, slowly marching. By chance, one of the creatures turned its head in their direction and uttered a low groan.

Many of its congregation turned their heads as well. As a mass, they started to march towards…

Mika Sayaka gritted her teeth. So then, she had no choice now. She'd have to blow her cover. She could feel the magic emanating from her musical hairpiece and hear a voice from her goddess warning her to be careful. There was no way to tell how Homura would react to her transformation. Sayaka decided to accept that risk. It was time to act!

She turned to Kyoko… and found the girl had walked off and was scrounging thru some trash.

"Kyoko-chan, what are you…?"

She was interrupted by said girl throwing a discarded baseball bat at her. Huh. This brought back some memories – those of simpler times, of old friendships, of a world that was no longer and could never be… Sayaka shook her head, clearing those memories and sorrows away. She saw that Kyoko had found a downed street sign, and was easily wielding it like… just like…

Like her spear.

Kyoko couldn't help but wonder why Sayaka was suddenly giving her such a sentimental look. Now didn't feel like the proper time or place of such soft feelings. No, they had to do God's work – dispatching of these accursed beings and returning their souls to Heaven, where they belonged. But this whole scenario stank of a familiarity she couldn't help but question.

Why did combat feel like a natural response to supernatural threats? Why did fighting together with Sayaka feel right? Why did wielding a weapon like this feel so familiar? There was no memory, but there was an impression, a sensation, a feeling. It was maddening.

Maybe a little fight would clear her head. She smirked, chuckled lightly, and lunged forward.

* * *

Elsewhere, Homura wandered alone through the fog in the guise of the devil. She was focusing her senses on detecting nearby sources of magic. Kyoko and Sayaka had ceased running and were dealing with some creatures. Mami appeared to be similarly detained. In the safe and far distance were Madoka and Nagisa. Nearby was the demon, skulking in the dark hidden spaces betwixt the cyclopean architecture. She heard its deep growls nearby as they stalked each other.

It seemed to act with purpose, staying tantalizingly out of sight and distracting her with illusionary attacks. First, more crows – dispatched with ease. Second, thicker fog – made useless by tracking with magic. But the third attack, coming now, was cleverer. Homura's magical senses were suddenly overwhelmed by many different sources of demonic presence.

She opened her eyes.

She was encircled by black cats. They reminded her a bit of Amy, Madoka's pet kitten. But these beings – they were indifferent to her. Many stared at her with unblinking red eyes. Some were attending to themselves, by grooming, stretching, and so on. Some were purring, others meowed.

Homura breathed a sigh of relief. These cats appeared more real to her magical senses, but as she looked more closely she could see that they were translucent. So then – more illusions. She focused and quelled them from her magical senses, and they vanished from her sight. She took a single step and then were was sudden flash in her magical senses that felt just like…

"…_Homura-chan…_"

…just like… but it couldn't be… she was still… right?

Homura checked, and sure enough she could detect two Madokas. One far and one near. And the near one was smeared out in her senses, like there was more than one? No, it was changing more subtly into… multiple forms… including Mami, Sayaka, and Kyoko… and then… herself!?

She took a deep breath and marched, eyes open, senses engaged. It was just around the corner…

…and Homura suddenly found herself being attacked by…

"…_Homura-chan… you said you would save me… why didn't you save me…?_"

…countless numbers of shambling mobile corpses of her precious Madoka, their friends, and her old self. As a mass they approached her, swarmed her, and gave her no room to escape.

In the distance, the demon responsible for this roared in mocking laughter.

* * *

This was the regretful state Mami found Homura in when she finally arrived to aid her comrade. The other girl's eyes were pitch black, and she was shuddering and sobbing. A sleeping demon shaped like a large cat, resembling a leopard cat but having the size of a lion, held the girl in its embrace. It had two tails entwining Homura to it, and was drawing something out of her.

Well, this wouldn't do.

Mami had already transformed in order to clear out some of the demon's minions. Not only could it raise and command the dead to attack, it could even create magical illusions. She had been tormented by visions of her dying parents demanding to know why she didn't save them.

She didn't try to make excuses. She took all the blame. She was sorry she let them down.

She swore to do better.

Oddly enough, that admittance and promise seemed to pacify them, and they haunted her no more. They even comforted her before departing for the unknown. Perhaps… were they truly…?

She shook her head. No time to worry about that. Her friend was in trouble!

She pulled on one of her ribbons and tore it from the end from her dress. By her command, it transformed into a long wooden staff with a yellow fireball at its tip. The sudden burst of magic so close by evidently woke up the demon by the way one of its ears twitched and it lazily opened one of its eyes. It regarded Mami with a neutral gaze, perhaps even indifferent. It breathed out a bit of black smoke, and that smoke formed into an illusionary copy of the transformed Homura. Another fake appeared as well, with a purple and white outfit that Mami didn't recognize and a much colder gaze. Instead of a trident, it had a golden shield and no obvious means of attack.

Mami blinked, and the second one was suddenly gone.

Her body then suddenly burst into flames immediately after that fake shot her in the back. Those flames burned through the fake unknown Homura, consuming it entirely. The fake devil lunged forward, trident in hand, as Mami reconstituted her body and raised her staff in defense. It made several wide swings, which Mami either blocked or evaded, but left her no opportunity for a counterattack. At least, not until it got too close and Mami was able to throw a fireball in its face. Distracted by the flames, it couldn't stop Mami from dashing towards the demon, staff glowing. The cat demon hissed at her, but made no motions to stop her from approaching.

With a triumphant shout of 'Colpo di Caldo!', she launched a giant fireball at the creature. Instead of running away or blocking the attack, it dissolved into a thick cloud of black smoke…

…leaving Homura behind to bear the brunt of the flames.

"GAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

Mami swiftly breathed in her flames to dispel them. In the distance, she heard a cat's laughter.

"Homura-chan! Oh no! I'm so sorry! Are you okay!?" Mami ran to Homura's side. The devil-clad girl had only been lightly singed by the attack thanks to Mami's swift recall of the flames. Between the two of them, her burn damage was easily healed. They looked around, and saw they were now surrounded by shambling corpses. On a distant rooftop, the mysterious cat was watching them. The two of them brought their weapons to bear, ready to continue the fight.

_I won't let you deceive me…_ thought Homura. _I'll keep everyone safe! I won't fail again!_

_I don't know what that one fake Homura was, but… I'll have to worry about that later_, thought Mami. _Right now, defending my friends and the people of my city comes first!_

They launched their attack against the demonic forces, Homura in the front, Mami in the back.

* * *

Elsewhere, Sayaka and Kyoko had easily cleared out the ranks of the marching dead. They stalked the streets, taking out any others they saw, and directing the ordinary people to safety. Well, Sayaka was the one playing the part of a public savior. Kyoko was hanging back behind her. Something about the idea of being that kind of hero rubbed her the wrong way.

And it irked her that she couldn't figure out why.

She pulled out her box of pocky, and shoved a stick in her mouth. Sayaka was returning to her side after sending more people on their way to safety. The useless blueberry made a remark about how she should be more outgoing, so she put the box away without offering Sayaka any. She wasn't doing this to look like a hero; she was just doing what was necessary.

What her Father would have wanted her to do; what her God would command to her.

These souls as they were could not be saved, so they needed to be sent back to whence they came. It was only right that the dead should not be able to return to the land of the living.

Hmm… something about that statement was bothering her. Put a pin in it for later and…

"Kyoko-chan~~~!" whined Sayaka

…deal with this for now.

"What do you want, Sayaka-chan? I'm thinking."

Sayaka blinked, surprised to be called by her actual name. Then she answered, "The fog is clearing up! Looks like she found whatever is the cause of this!" Sure enough, the obscure fog veil was being lifted, the city landscape was returning to normal, and the nearby dead were disintegrating into dust and smoke. Said particles were then flowing like a stream to another location, a place where the fog was also migrating. That must be where the demon was lurking.

"Hm? Not even calling her by her name? You really have it out for Blacky, don't you?" Kyoko kept hold of her street sign spear and started heading that way. She still wanted answers out of Homura after all, and maybe with another demon slain she would be more open to admissions. Of what, Kyoko couldn't even guess at this point. But there was something she wanted to discover – felt that she needed to discover, maybe about herself, maybe about this world.

"…I have my reasons, you know! Maybe I'll even tell you one day!" Sayaka exclaimed, following along with her baseball bat resting on her right shoulder. Sayaka could only hope that day would be soon. The day when the devil finally got what was coming to her.

The day they would all be free.

* * *

As they arrived at the field of battle, Sayaka and Kyoko could see that the demon's number was up. The two-tailed cat had lost all of its minions, them being easily dismantled by the combined efforts of Homura and Mami. As they went on, Homura figured out a useful trick – her living shadows could interfere with the illusions and dispel them. It was the same with Mami's flames. Meanwhile, their weapons were more than sufficient for dealing with the summoned dead.

Finally, they brought the fight to the nekomata itself, sniping at its perch from afar.

It leapt down to the ground.

It roared a challenge at them, and lunged forward to attack Homura. The devil dodged and slipped away from the grasp of its twin tails. The cat dodged her retaliatory strike…

…only to fall prey to Mami's flames.

It tried to escape by dissolving into smoke, but by compounding their two powers they kept it trapped in a black inferno and its body was consumed by the burning shadows, leaving behind its Demon Seed. The fog everywhere dissipated, and the geometry of the city returned to normal.

Homura breathed a sigh of relief, while Mami cheered for their victory. The two returned to their normal outfits, and Homura claimed the Demon Seed for herself. One more for the collection…

Sayaka chose that moment to make their presence known as she and Kyoko approached. She waved to them and shouted a greeting, while Kyoko kept up a more reserved demeanor.

"Oh! Sayaka-chan? What are you doing here?" asked Mami. "And who is this?"

Both Sayaka and Homura froze up. In this demon-infested world Mami and Kyoko were total strangers to each other, rather than the on-again and off-again allies they were in all prior timelines. They glanced at each other. This was a golden opportunity for one of them.

Sayaka spoke up first. "Oh, you've never met? Tomoe-san, this is Kyoko-chan. The three of us were having lunch when the demon and its minions attacked."

Mami looked at Kyoko, who was still carrying around a street sign like it was nothing. "…Isn't that heavy, Kyoko-chan? And why are you carrying that sign around?"

Kyoko looked at Mami, feeling a haunting sense of familiarity. She dropped the sign. "…No, it wasn't. In fact, using it to destroy those creatures felt like second nature."

Mami's eyes lit up. "Oh! Maybe you have potential too! You could be like us! …if you want to, of course. There's no pressure; the two of us can handle the city on our own. Right, Homura?"

Homura flinched when Mami pointed out the similarity between the three of them. Unfortunately for her, Kyoko noticed her reaction and raised an eyebrow. Homura agreed that there was no need for Kyoko to join them in combat against the demons. Kyoko scoffed at that, and picked her sign back up. With it brandished, she marched right up to Homura and pointed it at her face.

Everyone else stared at Kyoko with confusion clear in their eyes. Only the devil, lurking within Homura's mind, had an inkling of where this was going… and kept silent in amusement.

"You know how I wasn't threatening you before?" asked Kyoko, incensed. "Well I am now! Both you and this useless blueberry have been acting mighty suspicious, and I want to know the truth. So fess up!" She punctuated that by poking Homura's forehead with the sign. "There's something wrong with this world, isn't there!? With all these curses coming to life, attacking people, killing them, bringing them back as moving corpses… it's all broken, isn't it? Something happened and everything is wrong now… this isn't how things are supposed to be, right!?"

Homura interrupted her tirade. "Kyoko-chan… I…"

"Don't 'Kyoko-chan' me! You say you want to be my friend? Fine! Then do something friendly and help me out! Give me actual answers!" Anger, desperation, frustration, and sadness were mixed together in her mind, and tears had come to Kyoko's eyes.

Homura sighed. Kyoko deserved better than her. All of them did, if she was being honest with how she felt. The devil was being quite unhelpful, hanging back and keeping silent rather than providing advice. Well, they were the same person, so the devil didn't know anything that the human didn't also know. It was all up to her to salvage this with her mediocre social skills.

"I'm sorry, but… the truth is there's a lot that I just can't explain. I don't know why the demons arose and why they curse people. I don't know why things are broken. I just know that I have to keep fighting to preserve what we have. Mami-chan is helping the pathetic me in this quest…"

"Homura-chan, you're not pathetic at all!" interjected Mami. She marched over to Homura and hugged her tight. "No mean self-talk on the job~!"

Homura-sighed again and went on. "Together, we've been searching for a cause but we have no clues yet. So… p-perhaps… if you'll accept and have me by your side…"

Sayaka stared at Homura in shock. There's no way she was about to suggest _that_, right?

"W-we can fight against them and find the truth together."

In response, Kyoko asked a single question: "How can I trust you?"

Homura had to admit that she didn't have a good answer for that. She understood that her hesitation to speak wasn't allowing space for goodwill to flourish between the two of them, and admitted as such to Kyoko. "But… I can promise you this. I'm not doing this in order to hurt you. There are things I have found out that… are poisonous to know. The knowledge I have is its own curse. Mami-chan doesn't know those things either, but is still willing to support me."

Mami nodded in agreement. She was curious, of course, but she respected Homura's boundaries.

Kyoko stared at the two of them intensely. In Mami's eyes were resolve; in Homura's eyes were hope. Of course, the answers would not come so easily. But… if she was ever to find out what led to her family's accursed fate, she had no other choice but to work with the dark girl for now.

And so, Kyoko struck the deal, shaking hands with a grateful Homura and welcomed to the fold by a happy Mami. But Sayaka… she was in dismay. She knew not what form it would take, but she knew that she would strike out against the devil.

It was time to take things into her own hands.


	5. Proverbs of Hell

[Proverbs of Hell]

Part 1 – [If the fool would persist in his folly, he would become wise.]

Miki Sayaka felt more alone now than she had in a very long time. She had lost a former ally to devilry and her best friend to the will of that same devil. Her partner had been taken in by dark promises and her former two sempais were now in league with the adversary. Hitomi and Kyousuke, of course, knew nothing of this and would be useless anyway. Her goddess was still locked away and kept restrained, only able to offer encouragement and support via thoughts.

Alone, she had to stand.

Alone, she had to make a plan.

…but that wasn't one of her strong suits.

She groaned in frustration while lying in bed in the early morning. It had been some time since Kyoko had fallen and she had yet to make any moves. Sure, the devil was probably not expecting her to act anymore, but that wasn't what mattered. What mattered was her victory!

Which… what did that even look like? Madoka and her goddess free and the devil restrained? But what about the incubators…? They made for poor partners, too.

Not to mention how the magical girls in this and the other world would respond…

She sighed and arose from her bed.

A plan…

She needed a plan!

She needed to force Homura's hand…

* * *

Homura glanced at her collection of Demon Seeds. The new trio of her, Mami, and Kyoko were actively hunting the demons, but her collection hadn't grown at all. Because someone or something was hunting them down, killing them, and taking the seeds for themselves. And, well… There were only two options for the culprit. One was the Incubators. And the other…

…_Miki Sayaka, what are you up to now?_

She sighed. How long it had been since she and Sayaka were truly friends? Ever since Kyoko had joined the team, she had only drifted further apart from the blunette instead of closer, as Madoka had sincerely wanted. Homura herself had lost hope of winning her over long ago. All she could do now was containment and damage control. And even that, she couldn't do right.

Her phone buzzed. A text from…?

A group message. Kyoko and Mami and her. Sent by Kyoko. "Blueberry still acting suspicious."

One from Mami. "Homura-chan, should we do something about her?"

Yes, but she didn't know what.

She sighed, but supposed she should be grateful that only this was going wrong. While Kyoko still didn't fully trust her, she was more than willing to aid in both the investigations and the hunting of demons. Using the power of Kyoko's Witch, Homura was able to grant the girl a similar magic power to that of Mami. Her new magical girl outfit was that of a bright red kimono patterned with swirling multicolored psychedelic murals. Fish and horse motifs were prominent. Her weapon was a double-headed spear, as expected, but her newfound power was to summon forth holy light that crushed the illusions of others and generated illusions of her own.

With this power, something of use was finally determined. While all of the demons seemed to emerge from the earth or the air spontaneously and at random, Kyoko was able to determine that some of them actually emerged from cloaked portals. Homura instinctively knew where such a passage led, and forbid the two of them to enter on a convenient pretext.

So then, the Incubators had chosen to reject their newfound duty. Perhaps they thought if they sent enough demons at Homura, she would become too exhausted to keep them contained.

_What a foolish train of thought…_ she thought to herself while texting the other two back. "Yes. All suggestions welcome." If the Incubators wished to become useless, then the time was coming for her to crush their forces. The world's curses were a great weight to bear, but no weight was so great that the love in the heart for her precious Madoka could not keep her aloft, liberate her from the cruelty of the laws of gravity. In the meantime, she could send some of the Demons back and force the Incubators to provide for the common good, the end they claimed to support.

Indeed, between that and her recent discovery that the soul link between this Madoka and that Law of Cycles was weakening, it may be appropriate for her to have true hope.

One day, they could all be free.

But first, there was a blue girl who she had try to befriend for the hopefully final time.

* * *

School had changed for the better with Kyoko's appearance and friendship gained.

School had changed for the worse with Sayaka's abandonment of their friend circle.

Despair and hope balancing out again… _that's so like her_, Homura thought. In braided hair and glasses gowned, she wasn't paying any attention to Saotome-sensei's lessons, despite looking more studious than most. Instead, she was keeping her awareness up in case an evil apparition appeared. Kyoko, however, was actually slacking off and not even pretending to pay attention. And her precious Madoka, unaware of any dangers, had her eyes and ears focused on the lesson.

There was suddenly a faint tremor. In the real world and in her senses.

Kyoko slightly perked up, and glanced towards her.

She glanced at Kyoko and nodded. She glanced at Sayaka. The blue girl avoided her gaze.

Even now she admitted nothing.

There was another tremor, stronger this time.

On some pretext, Sayaka convinced the teacher to excuse her.

Homura's phone buzzed in her hand. A glance down. "Are you sure about this?" From Mami.

"Yes."

A third tremor, this time strong enough to be felt by everyone. Madoka instructively sought out something in Homura's eyes. She found it and was relieved – determination.

The menacing presence erupted into being with its fourth, final, fiercest tremor.

A fire was lit in Saotome-sensei's eyes, and she started leading the students out of the building and towards the evacuation zone. All but Homura and Kyoko, who were excused to 'take care of business.' Madoka wished them both good luck and kissed Homura on the cheek.

She was used to it now, but couldn't stop herself from blushing.

Kyoko chuckled at her as they left to meet up with Mami. "Oh, if only we could all be as lucky as you, Blacky, blessed with a girlfriend as loyal and sweet as Pinky back there, hehehe~."

_Kyoko, you don't know how right you are…_ Homura thought to herself. One day she'd truly be the person Madoka believed she could be. Until then, she had to keep surviving, keep trying. Instead of replying to the taunt, she asked: "C-can you feel anything coming from Miki Sayaka?"

The two of them focused. They could feel Mami heading towards them. They could feel the demon lurking on the school grounds, in pitched battle. They could feel…

Kyoko smirked. "Caught you, Blueberry. Let's roll!"

* * *

Sayaka transformed into her Magical Girl attire as she dashed across the school grounds, sprinting towards the demon. She had to hurry if she wanted to defeat it before the devil and her allies showed up. Her tracking skills were never that good, but thankfully, whatever this thing was, it had a massive menacing presence that it wasn't bothering to cloak. Her cape was billowing in the strong wind it was giving off as she rounded the corner towards the front gate.

Or rather, _they_ were giving off.

There was a total of four of them – gigantic humanoid beings with a single eye in the center of their foreheads. One was blue, one was red, one was yellow, and one was black. Each carried a corresponding weapon: a sword, a spear, a gun, and a bow. They all turned to face her once the red one noticed her presence and roared out loud.

The black one fired a massive arrow made of pure darkness at Sayaka. She barely dodged it, rolling to the side and then dashing towards the giants. The black one and yellow one fired more energy blasts, while the red and blue ones rushed to meet her.

_Four at once, huh? Let's keep this quick!_

She gritted her teeth and summoned an array of swords from the air. Using them as a diversion to draw the red one away, she was able to strike out at the blue one. Its size belied its true speed; it could attack as fast as any other warrior.

However, Sayaka was faster.

Between the aerial assault and her relentless battery, the blue one had no chance. But just before she could land a finishing blow…

…someone in the distance snapped their fingers, and all four of the giants suddenly vanished.

Sayaka froze in place. Who could've…!?

She gritted her teeth again. Oh, right. Of course. There was only one option.

She focused, trying to sense where_ she_ was, and…

"!"

…dodged the giant fireball that was aimed at her. And then another, and then another, and more and more, forcing her down a certain path that she managed to escape but then…

…she barely managed to dodge a red blade. It's wielder, a transformed Kyoko, swung around the black bladed edge on her double-bladed spear, but Sayaka managed to evade that one as well. The redhead gritted her teeth and kept up the offensive pressure, casually launching attack after attack, spinning like a typhoon, her red and green dress camouflaging her precise movements. To be precise, it resembled a red kimono, but there were moving designs of green fish swimming in the sea of blood, blocked in by a black trim at the collar and at the bottom.

Sayaka had no opportunity to counter-attack, only to dodge and keep her distance.

And just then, she felt the devil's presence.

"Miki Sayaka, please stop this…"

_Like hell I'll just give them up to you!_

She turned around and sliced at where the devil was, but that being easily dodged. Even when she summoned forth a large array of swords, the devil did not consider them a threat. Between her trident and her shadows, they were nothing she could not overcome. But it left an opening for Sayaka, finally! She launched herself and dropped down onto the devil with an overhead strike.

One easily blocked.

And she was forced further away from the devil by one of Mami's fire balls, which Kyoko used as cover to re-initiate her own attack. Sayaka didn't even have the luxury of keeping away this time; now she had to dodge and parry while staying close.

"Come on, Blueberry, show me what you can do! Is that all you have!?" exclaimed Kyoko just before smacking Sayaka with the blunt end of her red blade. But before Kyoko could follow through, Sayaka spun her cape around her body and teleported a short distance away…

…and almost into another fireball.

"Sayaka-chan, please talk to us!" pleaded Mami. "We can work together!"

_As if I'll work with her!_

Sayaka glared hatefully at the devil instead of responding to her former sempai's entreaty. She was surrounded and her cover was blown and there was no way for her to fix things on her own and why did she even think this was a good idea she's so stupid and and and…

She shook her head. No time for that now.

Rather than reply, she used her cape to teleport away once more.

"Ah! Sayaka-chan…"

"What the hell was all that!?"

"…"

_Miki Sayaka… what do you want from me?_

"I'm going to follow her," was all Homura said before disappearing into her own shadow, leaving Mami and Kyoko behind with the task of reassuring the people at school that all was now well. But she knew it'd be fine if she did. She trusted them, those two and her precious Madoka, in a way she never had trusted Sayaka.

Perhaps now was the time to fix that.

* * *

Part 2 – [The tygers of wrath are the wiser than the horses of instruction.]

Miki Sayaka reappeared in a park some distance away from Mitakihara Middle School and transformed back into her civilian clothes. She walked over to a nearby bench and flopped onto it, muttering curses under her breath.

So then, they all knew about her now and thought she was their enemy. And what was that trick the devil had played on her? Sending away the demons with just a snap of her fingers? Since when could she do that? And why then had she dragged Mami and Kyoko back into fighting?

"_**Sayaka-chan, it'll be alright…**_" whispered a soothing voice into her mind. But even a friendly goddess couldn't do anything for her now, especially not bound up as she was.

Sayaka sighed. "I'm sorry…"

"_**You don't have to apologize! I know you're trying your best! I believe in you!**_"

Sayaka smiled. "Thanks… ah, what am I moping around for! I won't give up!"

She leapt up and went over to a nearby vending machine. So what if the devil had Mami and Kyoko on her side? Her beef wasn't with them, it was with _her_. She needed to isolate her from them. Maybe she could try tracking that girl down after classes got out.

…oh right, she's skipping class. _Man, Madoka would probably chew me out if she knew that I wasn't planning on coming back. Can't risk it with Kyoko and the devil in one class_…

As she was ordering the drink, a thought came to her mind. She wouldn't be able to go back tomorrow either unless she settled things with the devil tonight. She pulled it out of the machine and made up her mind to go hunt the devil down after school ended. She took a big sip of her drink, went back to sit on the bench and…

"U-umm… w-would you mind talking with me for a bit?"

…promptly spat it out.

"H-How did you!?"

The devil, in the guise of the glasses-wearing and twin-braided Homura, pointed behind Sayaka. She looked back and saw one of the Clara Dolls waving at her, snickering wickedly.

Homura snapped her fingers and dispelled the familiar. She patted on the seat next to her.

"P-please. For Madoka, if not for me."

Sayaka stared in surprise at the devil in disguise. The two of them were alone. Mami and Kyoko were nowhere near. This was her chance to take down her enemy, force her to fix everything she had broken, and turn her best friend back into the goddess she had chosen to be.

She summoned a sword and pointed the business end of it at the devil.

"And why should I!?"

Homura sighed, and pushed the sword away from her face.

"I… don't want us to fight. As hard as that might be for you to believe."

…The devil was right; Sayaka didn't believe her. But she was still just sitting there and not attacking or defending and looking at her with those sad and pleading eyes and…!

Sayaka sighed, gulped down her whole drink, put away her sword, and sat down by Homura.

"This better be good…"

…Of course, now that Sayaka had agreed to her demand, Homura suddenly found herself at a loss for words. She was never very good at being social, not even before she put on her cold mask. After a minute or two of thought, she managed to force something out.

"Miki Sayaka… I've never been very good to you, have I? I was hoping to change that… I've already started with the others, and you're the only one left."

Sayaka, naturally, took that in a different direction than Homura had hoped.

"So, then, you admit that you're just manipulating us all!?"

"N-no! I really do… treasure all of you."

"But you treasure Madoka the most."

"…Yes, I do. I… I won't apologize for that. If it wasn't for her…"

"…I wouldn't be who I am today, yadda yadda, I know that stuff already!"

Homura blinked. _…What?_

"…You do?"

"Yeah, Madoka told me all about you in the other place before when we were planning our big rescue. The rescue that_ you_ threw into the trash, by the way! What were you thinking!?"

Incensed, Sayaka leaned over and loomed over Homura, who backed away as far as she could while staying on the bench. She wasn't used to such overt hostility from the bluenette anymore, and it caught her off-guard. Sayaka pointed an accusing finger at the devil as she ranted.

"You really think you can keep us here forever, don't you!? And that we'll just go along with it, like we're your dolls!?"

"No, I-"

"Madoka isn't stupid, you know! She knows this is all wrong; she just doesn't care because she's too preoccupied over you! She's gonna break free one day and you'll get what you deserve!"

Homura's eyes widened. "S-she _wouldn't_-"

"We'll see justice through! And since you're a devil now, you won't be able to join her! …oh, is that why you dragged her down here, then? Forcing her to stay with you because you won't let her go be everyone's goddess? You can't even imagine a 'you' without her anymore, can you?"

"…"

Homura didn't answer, which was an answer enough coming from the devil.

Sayaka backed away and forcefully exhaled to try and calm herself down.

"Honestly… I can't believe you. You really think Madoka wouldn't have let you into her idea of Heaven? You could have been by her side forever, you know? It didn't have to be this way."

"Miki Sayaka, please stop and let me-"

"No, there's nothing I need to hear from you. You're wrong and that's that."

Sayaka stood up and started walking away. At least, that's what she wanted to do, but she found herself frozen in place. Looking down at her feet, they were ensnared by a shadowy tar-like mass. She could move around in place with a bit of effort, but forward motion was impossible. That sounded too much like her life right now to be comforting, and she growled in anger.

"Let me go!" she roared at the devil. Said devil was walking up to her slowly, with hesitation.

"Sayaka-chan, please, I-"

"Don't you Sayaka-chan me, you devil!" Sayaka exclaimed, transformed and lashing out with her sword to strike at the devil. To kill. She could see nothing but red. A bloody mist in her eyes.

She struck true, her sword severing the devil's head from her body. The devil's head made a soft thump on the concrete, and her body fell over mere seconds later. The tar-like shadows faded.

Miki Sayaka was alone with the unmoving corpse of her best friend's girlfriend.

She dropped her sword, and it disintegrated to dust when it hit the ground. She fell to her knees, numb, shocked, horrified.

"_**Sayaka-chan! Sayaka-chan! What's going on down there!?**_"

But she didn't answer her goddess, staring at Homura's unmoving body. She wanted justice, not this, not… this hot-blooded murder! She began to weep, thinking she had ruined everything.

"_**Miki Sayaka… if you're done being a drama queen… perhaps we may talk now?**_"

…That voice…

Sayaka looked up, and saw that Homura's head was now looking directly at her with the cold gaze that she was used to seeing from the girl. And her body had transformed as well, bearing wings and wearing the devils' dress. Said body rose, walking over to its head, and Sayaka fell over backwards, letting out a cry of surprise. She backed away as the devil reclaimed her head.

"You're… but I… how!?"

The devil chuckled. "_**You really thought that was all it would take to defeat me, the devil? Give me some credit… I was once a Magical Girl you know, just like you. We're built to handle abuse. …But you don't need me to tell you about abuse, do you, Miki Sayaka? You've already been baptized by it. Just like I have.**_"

"…What do you want?" a sullen Sayaka asked, relinquishing her transformation, not looking Homura in the eye. There was no hope for her now, she thought, so she may as well accept whatever punishment the devil wanted to impose on her. She hoped that her goddess would one day be able to free herself, despite Sayaka's failure here and now.

The devil frowned. "_**Giving up on yourself again? Come on now… surely there's-**_"

She cut herself off, and Sayaka looked up in confusion.

The devil re-attached her head and shrugged at Sayaka. "_**The human me wishes to handle this part. I hope you're prepared for what you're about to witness…**_" The devil's aura shifted, and when she opened her eyes, there was… instead of the cold indifference of the devil, there was the burning hostility of the still-living Akemi Homura! She glared at Sayaka, who flinched.

"Miki Sayaka."

Homura, still in the devil's garb, wings flared, shadows writhing, stepped forward.

Sayaka, ashamed, frightened, humiliated, stood up and started backing away…

…only for shadowy tendrils to burst forth from the ground to hold her arms and legs in place. Despite her struggle, there was no way she could break out from their menacing grasp.

"H-hey! Homura-chan! Let me go! I'm sorry, okay! I didn't mean it!"

"Oh?"

The devil – no, Akemi Homura – gave her a smirk and caressed her face in both hands.

"Do you seriously think I'll believe that? That you had no intentions of striking me down? Of changing your fate? Of _ruining_ my victory?"

Homura practically growled out that last question, and Sayaka flinched.

"Miki Sayaka, don't take me for a fool. You _wanted_ this fight. And now that you have it, you've realized you made a mistake that's too late to fix. …Yes, that's right, it's too late to fix this."

Homura paused, and stepped back, letting Sayaka go. But before the confused girl could ask what the deal was, Homura spoke up again, her soft voice full of spiteful conviction.

"Do you know what the worst thing you can do to someone is? Give them false hope. That is what the Incubators do. That is a path that I will not follow. So, let me be honest with you: I can see clearly now that the gulf between us is too wide to cross. And you know what? I think that's a shame… see, the thing is, we ultimately want the same thing: for Madoka to be happy and safe. I have done this, Miki Sayaka. I've sworn my eternal life to doing so. And what have you done?"

Homura didn't let the blunette answer, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"You have made things worse. It's all you seem to be capable of doing on your own. Madoka may have told you about me, but she could only have told you things that I told her. Let me tell you something about yourself, Miki Sayaka. There has not been a single timeline where you became a Magical Girl and did not become a Witch. I, who know all about weakness, know that you are too weak to bear this burden. So, it's better that you don't. But now that you have that option, you refuse it. You want to throw your own salvation in the trash. And to what end? Let the Incubators run free again to seize Madoka for themselves once more? Do you really think they'll play nice with you, knowing that the one person who could stop them no longer can?"

She selected not to mention that he had no long-term plan for the incubators other than solitary confinement either. But that would change one day. Once her Madoka was safe from the Demons, she would deal with _them_ for good. And then, she could finally feel at ease.

"_No._ I will not allow this. I will not grant you victory. Instead, I will give you peace – on _my_ terms. You will be content with being by Madoka's side and cease your hostilities _at once_."

Homura poked Sayaka's forehead, and the girl crumpled with no resistance. Like a doll.

"…Have a nice afternoon."

With that, Homura departed, leaving Miki Sayaka alone with her spiraling thoughts.

* * *

Part 3 – [To create a little flower is the labour of ages.]

Hours later, beneath the night sky, Miki Sayaka was still alone with her thoughts. She noticed not when the winds blew and ceased. She noticed not when clouds blew by, freely drifting as they were directed. She noticed not when the daylight died and night arose upon the land.

She noticed nothing at all until a flashlight was suddenly shone directly in her eyes.

"GAH!"

She flailed away from the sudden burst of light, thinking it was the devil – no, Homura, her name is _Homura_ – again, until she heard the familiar crunch of a stick of pocky between teeth.

"Geez, what happened to you? You look you've seen your own grave."

Sayaka forced herself to relax and start breathing normally. The de- no, _Homura_, remember – was gone. She couldn't say anymore of those horrible things to her. Those awful, true things.

She looked up at Kyoko, who was out of her school uniform and in her usual casual attire of sweats and jeans. "Hahaha, oh don't worry about me! I'll be fine… hahaha…"

Kyoko stared at her.

"What? You don't believe me?"

Kyoko answered honestly. "Nope."

Sayaka chuckled at that. Some things never changed.

She reached out a hand and Kyoko helped her up. They then began the long walk back to the Miki household.

"Mind explaining what your deal is by the way?" Kyoko asked in a way that wasn't really a question. "You were the one killing all those Demons so suddenly, right? Why not just work with us if that's what you wanted? It would have saved all of us from a huge headache…"

"It's, well…"

Sure, Kyoko was right. It would be easier to work together with her, Mami, and Homura. But could she really bring herself to work with someone who betrayed her trust and forced her and her goddess into helpless bystanders as she imposed her will upon all of existence? Someone who seemingly so easily had ensnared former allies and friends onto her side, not knowing what she had done, or what lengths she had travelled for her cause, or the depths of her feelings…

Sayaka sighed.

"It's a long story. About me and Homura-chan. We'll tell it to you one day… if she ever agrees to talk to me again…"

Kyoko stared at her again, surprised both at what Sayaka said and the fact that she used Homura's actual name. "Seriously? You managed to get _her _to flip out on you?"

"Hehehehe… not my proudest moment." Not like she had many of those anyway…

Maybe soon she'd have one to brag about.

* * *

Elsewhere, Homura was doing what had now become for her an unusual thing.

She was at home. Not the Kaname house, but her old apartment. Despite how much she loved being with Madoka, that place wasn't her home. This place, as claustrophobic, as haunted, as stagnant as it was, was her home.

When had she arrived back in a sour mood from telling off Sayaka, she slammed the door behind her, grabbed the nearest pillow, and started screaming into it in pure frustration.

_Nothing involving Miki Sayaka ever goes right, not even now! Why did I ever think the two of us could become friends again!? Ugh… she's just so… and I am… we're… ugh!_

"_**Oh my… but didn't you expect that to happen?**_" asked an amused voice.

Homura looked up and saw the looming specter of her devil floating in the air.

"I… I really thought I could change things between us," said Homura, on the verge of tears. "Mmm… I think… with my quick success with the others… I was over-estimating myself. Miki Sayaka is different from the rest of them, especially since she knows me from the other times…"

She sighed. Was there nothing she could do now? Had all her bridges been burnt?

…

No.

"_**Hm?**_" The devil looked upon with curiosity. "_**Have you perhaps realized something?**_"

Yes.

If she truly wanted Miki Sayaka as a friend, she had only one option left now…

She could only hope that she could will herself to take it.

* * *

The next day began seemingly normal for all sides: Sayaka dragged herself out of bed, Homura flung herself out of bed due to recurring nightmares, Kyoko was awoken by her stomach, and Madoka was awoken by Tatsuya. All of them prepared for school and left, each on their own time.

Along her way to school, Madoka was joined once again by Kyoko and Sayaka. The pinkette was glad that Kyoko had decided to join her friend group and return to school, and was super happy that Sayaka and Kyoko were friends. She chalked that up to her general love of friendship, and examined those feelings no closer, though she did wonder why Kyoko seemed familiar…

_Eh, no need to worry about it~!_

It wasn't until they were much closer to the school grounds that they ran into Homura.

"Good morning, Homura-chan~!"

"Good morning, Madoka-chan."

Homura and Kyoko also greeted each cordially, but as for Sayaka and Homura…

"…"

"…"

Things were so awkward!

"Did something happen between them yesterday?" whispered Madoka to Kyoko.

"Yeah… they had a fight. It was pretty bad…"

Madoka gasped. "Oh no! Should we…?"

Kyoko bit down on her stick of pocky. "No, I think we should let them handle it. Maybe you can try something later if it doesn't work out, but I don't want any more headaches…"

With that, Kyoko loudly announced that she and Madoka would be going on ahead.

"…"

"…"

Now that they were confronted with each other, neither wanted to speak first.

"Um!" "Ah!"

They both paused.

"G-go ahead, Miki Sayaka…"

"No, no, you first, Homura-chan!"

Homura blinked, and adjusted her glasses.

"At the same time?"

Sayaka nodded.

3… 2… 1…

"I'm so sorry!" "P-please forgive me!"

Shocked, they both stared at each other.

Sayaka spoke first. "Okay, I know why I'm apologizing, but why are you?"

Homura gulped. "Because I… I meant what I said. And I hurt you. I really _wanted_ to hurt you. And that wasn't right. I-I really do want to be your friend, even with all of that."

Sayaka stared at Homura for a bit, her words sinking in. Then she sighed, and wasn't sure if it was from relief or from sadness. "Oh man… I really screwed up…"

"N-no, I'm the one who-"

Sayaka interrupted her before she could finish her thought: _I'm the one who caused all of this_.

"Even if that's true… I never made any attempt to understand you. Figure out why you did all of this. …you know, I think if I had actually stopped to listen to you at any point, things would have gone a lot differently, maybe even back then. Maybe none of this would have happened."

Then Homura did something Sayaka didn't expect. She giggled at her. But it was playful, not menacing.

"Hehehehe… you really think you would've?"

Sayaka put up her hands. "Probably not. I'm kind of a blockhead." She then tapped the side of her head while sticking her tongue out, prompting more laughter out of Homura.

Homura smiled at her, before coughing and growing more serious. "I can be pretty stubborn too sometimes… as I'm sure you've noticed. I still won't let Madoka go, but… I think… we can try to work something out, um… m-may I call you Sayaka-chan?"

"Eh!? Of course! We're gonna be friends now, right?"

Homura nodded.

Friends…

Not yet, she thought. There was still too much pain and bad blood between them. This reconciliation was only the beginning. But maybe someday. Someday soon.

She could only hope…


	6. A Memorable Fancy, Plate I

[A Memorable Fancy, Plate I – _Ainsi la lumiere sera changee en ombre de la mort._]

The road to reconciliation is long and winding, but the journey down it is worthwhile. These became the beliefs of both Akemi Homura and Miki Sayaka and made their eventual friendship possible. The two arrived to class engaging in light chit-chat, giving Madoka hope as well. After all, she wanted her best friend and her girlfriend to finally start getting along!

Once again, Sayaka joined the group of six girls for their daily rooftop lunch gathering. The four magical girls, Madoka (the cause of it all), and Hitomi (who knew nothing still).

Homura and Sayaka had privately come to an agreement that Sayaka would be allowed to actively help in the group's efforts to combat the demons and Homura's struggle to come up with a long-term plan for dealing with the Incubators, so long as she did not attempt to make anyone who had forgotten the old world remember anything from it. This meant she had to modify her transformation to use more of her Witch's aesthetic, gaining a full set of armor when fighting.

Sayaka complained about these restraints, naturally, but went along with them. It was for the sake of friendship after all… and maybe with better friendship, Homura could be talked into doing right by her goddess and the others. Only time could tell…

* * *

As time passed, there came one night where Homura had a strange dream that was not a dream.

She woke up with a start in a familiar field of flowers. Except... they were all different colors, vibrant in their excess, no longer uniform. She looked down upon herself. She was in her Magical Girl uniform from before, non-functional shield sitting on her arm, taunting her. In the other hand, was a familiar bow. She ran her hand through her hair and found it to be long and loose. Strangely enough, there was also a red ribbon in her hair.

"...!?"

She stood up and looked around. This place... the field of flowers was not infinite, it eventually bled into a forest in some directions and grasslands in others. Next to Homura was a well, deep and full with water, thick black smoke billowing out of it. She could see others sporadically situated around. The ground everywhere was flat as far as she could see. And she could feel... a presence, perhaps, from everywhere.

"...where... is this place...?"

She could hear faint melodies dancing in a soft breeze coming from one of the forests. Curious, but on guard, she followed it and found a path leading deeper into the woods.

The presence grew stronger and stronger as she followed the path deeper and deeper. All along the way, Homura felt that she was being watched. However, she paid that no mind. As she was, there was only one being who could ever threaten her. Her enemy. The proof of her failure.

The Law of Cycles.

The music stopped as soon as Homura entered the clearing and the two girls there noticed her. One was a dark-skinned girl she had never seen before, who was holding a flute and wearing floral garb. The other one was...

"Akemi-san!? Y-you're here already!?"

...the other Kaname Madoka, the gleaming goddess, the eternal hope, garbed as usual in her pale white gown. Unlike normal, her pink hair wasn't tied up in any bows or ribbons and so it showed its full length, cascading all the way down to the goddess's feet. And within her golden eyes, there was an emotion Homura had forgotten that Madoka could express.

Fear.

It wasn't ideal... but whatever kept this goddess from interfering was alright by her.

She ran a hand through her own hair.

"Hmm. I thought you might have summoned me here, but if that's not the case, then I have no reason to stay. Goodbye."

"P-please wait!"

Homura turned away from her would-be savior...

"I have nothing to discuss with you. Farewell."

...and took only three steps before an intense presence suddenly appeared and there were two swords at her neck. One from a woman in pinkish-white metal armor and another from a woman in black leather armor. She didn't recognize either of them.

She didn't _care _about them.

"Stand aside."

Neither moved, glaring daggers at her. She gazed at the two of them in turn, passively. She then spoke to the goddess. "I suppose this is how you plan to deal with me?"

"No! No! Akemi-san! I... I don't want us to be enemies!"

_...That's an interesting claim... _thought Homura. But there was no way she'd be willing to go along with what she assumed that goddess would want, no matter what she was threatened with. She sighed, and was about to speak...

"!"

...but first, she sensed the presence of a familiar and _most unwelcome_ magical girl.

It's only from the reactions of the two girls trying to pin her down that she realizes she's transformed into her devil form. They've backed away, staring at her with a mix of awe and confusion. Well, they could stay that way. She had something more pressing to deal with...

"...Mikuni Oriko. How did _you_ end up here?"

"...The same way you would have, Akemi Homura. Kirika wanted me to tell you that she hopes you rot in hell, by the way."

Sure enough, the white-clad future-seer, along with a green-haired girl in lacy garb she didn't recognize, were standing by the side of their goddess. And if she was attentive, Homura could start to feel more and more magical presences drifting in with a soft song floating in the air. A song to summon forth the blessed dreamers, among whose ranks she would never join if she had her way. But at this rate... if things came to blows, the Law of Cycles would gain an opportunity to catch her off guard due to her sheer numerical advantage.

"Oh? But hell is empty by the will of the goddess. And speaking of the goddess... you must have foreseen this. _All_ of this."

Oriko nodded. "If you're looking for an apology from me, you'll be waiting forever. A willing sacrifice from Kaname Madoka and an end to Witches is all that I could have asked for. I could have rested here forever knowing peace. And yet in my rest, where time should not pass... I knew you would come here tonight, and so did this girl here... but neither of us know how or why, nor can we see your future from here."

Homura revealed only a small bit of the shock she felt at that last part. If the future-seer claimed that she had no future to see, then that could only mean...

_But how!?The Incubators had no way to escape... so then... but what kind of Demon could..._

It was only then that Homura forced herself to notice something that should have been obvious to her from the start. She overwrote the law but did not destroy it. And the Law always attempts to save those who can be saved by it. But the law cannot save that which should not exist.

Like her shield.

She blinked.

The shield was gone, and so was everyone and everything but the goddess. They were in a void-like space, feeling much like she was trapped in another nightmare. In the distance, she could feel her cold body withering. But know that she knew something was wrong, she could launch her counterattack.

"...This changes nothing, you know. I won't give back Madoka to you."

The goddess sighed. "Akemi-san, I meant what I said. I don't want us to be enemies. You can't keep this up forever; a Demon could attack you in your sleep again. We can work together and-"

The goddess reached out but...

"_**Absolutely not.**_"

...yet again, Homura rejected her.

"I don't care how much it hurts me. Protecting _my_ Madoka is _my_ sworn duty. I won't let her go again. Now then... I'll go back and take of this." _And prove that you're not needed_ was what was left unsaid. Homura disappeared into the darkness, leaving the goddess alone again.

_Homura-chan, please... please survive this._

_We're both counting on you._

* * *

Akemi Homura forced herself awake to find that her body had been consumed within a dark cloud of obscure and hostile magic. It was attempting to merge itself with her, and had to sever the connection between her body and soul to do so. That must have been when the Law of Cycles intervened... She tried to leap up and fight but it was pinning her down. She could feel that it was draining something out of her... something... her own magic!?

She couldn't accept that!

Transforming into her devil form, Homura summoned shadows to conceal her body and expanded them to push away the cloud of malevolent smoke. The force involved generated a harsh wind, strewing about everything in her bedroom... but she could deal with that later. For now, she had a new foe to focus on. The cloud congealed, solidifying, and taking the form of...

"!?"

...another Homura, clad in the garb of the devil. There was only one difference. Whereas Homura's eyes were vibrant and full of life, the doppelganger's eyes were dead and empty.

More pressingly, she couldn't feel the presence of her other self anymore.

"_**Hahahaha... looking for someone...? She's gone now... but I wonder why you're still here...?**_"

The doppleganger's eyes gave off a menacing gleam.

"_**Ahhh... it matters not. I'll just have to take you over the hard way then... heheheh...**_"

Shadows coalesced around Homura's copy, bearing an evil grin. In response, Homura summoned forth her weapon, the black trident, and sent out her shadows on the attack. The doppelganger mirrored her movements and her attacks almost perfectly, and neither could gain an advantage on the other. Her apartment was being destroyed in the course of the fight, but Homura cared not about that. Things were replaceable. Her precious Madoka was not.

"_**Aren't you going to ask how I got here? How I'm able to do all of this? You're not even the least bit curious?**_" asked the doppelganger as the two clashed blades.

_This thing, if it just copies me, then..._ Homura retreated her shadows, and the doppelganger did the same... as a ruse, as it immediately launched an attack, which Homura had to dodge and deflect.

"_**Is it that you don't care...? Or rather... is it that you already know the truth and don't want to admit it?**_" asked the doppelganger again, dodging Homura's attack rather than blocking, and returning fire only to have that be avoided. "_**It doesn't really matter to me... but it matters to you. I know it. I can feel it...**_"

"The opinions of a dead Demon don't matter."

"_**Oho... how cold. And how bold.**_" The doppelganger licked its lips. "_**But I wonder if you'll succeed... after all, you can't defeat me. You can't defeat **_**us**_**. Not really.**_"

Enraged, Homura lunged forward, driving her trident into where the doppelganger stood...

...and it contorted its' body in space, opening up a hole that the trident passed through harmlessly.

"What!?"

With no time to recover, the doppelganger exploded into a dark cloud of mist, blowing Homura into a wall, knocking her out, and shattering a nearby window, from which it diffused out. By the time she woke up, the doppelganger was long gone.

Homura slammed her fist into the floor. _No! I can't let that thing get away!_ Thoughts of what this event meant for what the Demons are and what they want started flashing through her mind, but she banished them away. It was time to focus. Because if that thing really was a copy of her...

...there's only one person in this whole world it'd be going after right now.

* * *

Kaname Madoka, meanwhile, was minding her own business while all of that was going on, having no idea of what would soon be in store for her.

Because as far as she was concerned, things had never been brighter for herself and her girlfriend. Looking back, everything seemed to flow by so quickly, almost like a dream. First, she transferred back to Mitakihara from the United States (not that she can remember where exactly she had been) and became re-united with Sayaka and made a new friend in Homura. Second, she and Homura became closer over time and started dating. Third, her girlfriend turned out to be a Magical Girl and made herself two new friends all on her own – Mami and Kyoko. Fourth, Sayaka and Homura, once at constant odds with each other, now seemed to be making inroads, and maybe one day they would actually be friends rather than just allies of convenience.

She giggled. Yes, indeed, things were looking up!

At the moment, she was biking towards Homura's house, wearing a white dress painted with purple lilies, bearing a basket of treats. Even with all this progress, there was still the matter of Homura herself.

The girl was still not well. No amount of posturing could hide it.

Madoka had hoped that with the bullies cowed (not one of them dared try to oppress the "Angel of Mitakihara", after all) and Sayaka befriended, Homura would have more self-confidence and be more open to Madoka about... _certain_ things. Her past being chief among them.

Who _really_ is Akemi Homura, the girl, the magical girl, the angelic girl, her girlfriend?

Madoka was ashamed of herself that after months of both overt and subtle attempts to learn more about her girlfriend's past, she had so little to show for it. Honestly! What did Homura think would happen if she opened up to Madoka? That she'd run away? That she'd reject her?

Madoka liked to think she wasn't that kind of person.

But if Homura didn't believe that to be true, then she could only prove it by example. So then, she came up with a clever scheme all on her own! She got herself invited to Homura's place (a first!) in order to introduce herself to Homura's family. And to make a good impression, she baked some goodies for them herself. And today was to be the special day where it all went down. She started humming a little tune, now maybe half-way to Homura's place...

...just in time for a familiar shadow to suddenly pass by her.

"Homura-chan!?"

She put on the brakes while the shadow congealed into the form of the transformed Akemi Homura. But from the moment she saw its' eyes, she knew this was not her girlfriend.

"W-who are... ah!"

The fake Homura's dull eyes gleamed strangely, and its hair became tendrils that reached out for Madoka, ensnaring her, her bike dashed upon the ground, her basket's contents spilling out. She struggled, but to no avail. The fake Homura drew her in close, binding her within its' hair...

...just in time for the real Homura to appear.

"Let her go, now!"

"H-homura-chan?"

"_**Hehehehehe... make me.**_"

Homura brought her trident to bear, but the doppelganger then proceeded to use the terrified Madoka as human shield. And her shadows could make no advance, repelled by those of the loathsome copy. Its menacing presence grew, obscuring itself and Madoka in a dark cloud...

_No!_

Homura stopped in place. "Please, no! Let her go! I'll do anything!"

"_**Oho... **_**anything?**_** In that case... wish granted.**_"

And just like that, the doppelganger released Madoka... only to unravel itself and envelop Homura instead, ensnaring her, obscuring her from Madoka's sight.

"Homura-chan! No!"

"M-madokaaaaaa... run... g-get the ooooothers... I'll try to... ah!"

But paralyzed by fear, Madoka could not flee. She could only watch as her precious Homura was possessed by this evil being. The cloud dissipated, and a changed Homura emerged, eyes glowing dully, grin lopsided.

"_**Oh, her? Don't worry, she's still here... for now. I'll let you two have a final goodbye for later. But for now... you're coming with me, got it?**_"

There were many things Madoka wanted to do in that moment. Run and go find help. Fight for the sake of her loved one. Reason with the being to let Homura go.

But in the end, she could do nothing but follow along helplessly ashamed like the weak girl she was.

_Homura-chan... I'm sorry. Please, hang in there..._

* * *

"!"

Sayaka nearly fell over, clutching her head in agony.

"Ah! What the-!?"

"_**Sayaka-chan! Homura is... Homura is...!"**_

The goddess, her best friend, was yelling into her mind louder than any alarm. She could only count her blessings that she happened to be alone in her room at the moment. Who knew how her parents would have interpreted this... Ah right, but her best friend was panicking about Homura. What could possibly have happened? That girl could take care of herself well, right? She had been doing so for so long already, right?

It was when the goddess revealed what had happened that Sayaka realized the depths of trouble Homura was in.

She made separate texts warning Mami and Kyoko about the situation, and dashed out of her apartment, searching for Homura's already fading presence.

* * *

"_**Kaname Madoka... you're quite the oddity. Why does Akemi Homura hold you to be so important to her? Everything about you screams 'ordinary', not 'special'. So then... why?**_"

The fake Homura was merely musing out loud, Madoka knew. So far, it was content to pretend to be like Homura, asking Madoka if Homura would emote this way rather than that way, if Homura would talk in this manner rather than that manner, if Homura would... but Madoka couldn't bring herself to tolerate anything more than that, even with threats to her precious...

Besides, there was only so much that Madoka herself knew, which she admitted easily. She wished to understand her girlfriend better, and now they were in this situation! Madoka had to reassure herself that this would have happened no matter what, otherwise she didn't think she could bear it... thinking that there was something she could have done to stop this.

{But there was something, wasn't there? She had dreamt about it. Golden eyes, goddess body.}

"_**Ah, so this poor girl is an enigma even to you? How unfortunate. She'll die a mystery.**_"

The two of them were aimlessly wandering the streets of Mitakihara, and at that statement Madoka stopped in place. The fake Homura could only see a blank expression, not able to grasp the whirlwind raging in Madoka's mind – neither literally not figuratively. Was this it? Was this the fate of angels, of magical girls? To fight endlessly until some monster finally gets the better of them? And then what of the ones they left behind? What fate is in store for them, for her?

{How could she possibly accept that kind of fate for her beloved Homura? It was too cruel.}

She clenched her fist.

No. Homura was not dead yet. She had to have hope.

The fake Homura raised an eyebrow at Madoka's sudden determination. "_**What's gotten into you, Kaname Madoka? Have you realized something?**_"

"Yes. I believe in Homura-chan. I know she'll defeat you!"

The fake Homura sneered at Madoka. "_**Cute words, but that's all they are. The power and soul of Akemi Homura are already dissolving into my being. Hahahaha... it's too late for her to escape**_."

But then the sneer went away, replaced with a more pensive expression. "_**Yet it's strange. I am no more powerful than I was before, nor am I becoming more like Akemi Homura in mannerisms. Her soul was the most powerful one here. Curious. This should've worked flawlessly and I should finally be able to understand why I exist... was I wrong?**_" It frowned, dismayed, looking down at Homura's hands.

Madoka looked at the fake Homura, confused. Sure, the news that Homura was probably fine in there (for now) was good. But what was the demon trying to understand that it needed to go this far for... _Wait, no!_ She shook her head. This wasn't the time to empathize with her enemy, this thing...

...

...or was it?

What could she lose by trying to understand it? She remembered her initial feelings, that day when she first met Homura. Something about this whole scenario was wrong, but she couldn't put her finger on what. Or was she perhaps in denial and didn't want to admit it?

She walked ahead, taking the fake Homura by the hand. A spark of something passed into her, and she knew her precious Homura was still fighting in there, somewhere.

_Homura-chan... I'll do what I can. Please, hang in there..._

The fake Homura's face flushed slightly, a very Homura-like reaction to an aggressive Madoka. "_**Where are you taking me?**_" it asked.

"Ah, well... it's almost lunch time, so we should sit down and get some food. My treat!"

And Madoka dragged the fake Homura away, not hearing any complaints or arguments.

Real or fake, some things didn't change with either of them.

* * *

Elsewhere, Sayaka had met up with Mami and Kyoko upon a rooftop, overlooking the city. All of them were clad in their fighting outfits, meaning neither of them could see Sayaka's face underneath Oktavia's helmet. What was once a nuisance was now a blessing, as Sayaka did not want either of them to see her face right now.

"Alright Blueberry, what's the deal?"

"Sayaka-chan, what's happened with Homura-chan?"

Sayaka fidgeted, not sure how to explain this without giving anything away. Then again, telling them the truth eventually was her goal anyway... maybe it would be fine to let a little bit slip?

She was playing a dangerous game, but she had to win.

"Madoka-chan sent me a message. She think's Homura has been possessed by one of the Demons."

The two of them stared at her in shock. Sure, normal people had been possessed by a Demon before, and they had to take great care not to kill the host while fighting the creature. But one of their own? And _Homura_ at that? This defied belief.

Kyoko pulled out her box of pocky, offered everyone sticks, and bit down on hers angrily. "Tch! Damn it, Blacky, you have to keep your guard up!"

"Homura-chan was attacked while she was at home."

"Eh!? For real!?"

Sayaka nodded. "She couldn't have prepared for that."

Mami twirled her stick around in her hands, remembering what had happened in her old home so long ago. "That's right. We can't focus on that right now; we have to save our friend!" She pointed it at Sayaka. "Sayaka-chan, did Madoka-chan happen to tell you where they were?"

"Ah... sorry, no." Of course, this Madoka had never said anything, another Madoka had.

Sayaka had no idea why Mami was looking at her curiously.

"Hmmm... that's unfortunate, then. Should we split up and track Homura-chan?"

"And do _what_ if we find her? None of us have beaten her in a straight fight. Let's stick together," countered Kyoko.

"I suppose so, Kyoko-chan..." Mami didn't quite think things were so hopeless against Homura in a one-on-one fight, but couldn't figure out where her confidence came from. Sure, she hadn't beaten Homura either, but that's because they usually fought each other to a draw. They had fought _gun against gun_ and... wait, no that's not right, it was fire against shadow.

Where did _that_ come from?

Mami shook her head, dispelling the intrusive thought. "If she really is possessed, her magic will be hard to track. We probably won't notice her until we're right on top of her. So, let's stay incognito and act normal. We don't want to make ourselves easy targets..."

The other two agreed, letting Mami take charge. It felt natural to them for some reason.

They descended to the ground, switched back into civilian attire, and began their search...

* * *

As for Madoka, her interrogation was going nowhere.

The demon knew little.

Its name? "_**I am now Akemi Homura. Understand this and accept it.**_"

Its _real_ name? "_**...the previous me had no substance, so it also had no name.**_"

Its origin? "_**I came from the bottomless emptiness with no name. How fitting.**_"

Its goal? "_**To live, replacing the foolish Akemi Homura.**_"

Why Homura? "_**We are connected. If she is light, then I am dark, perhaps. But who truly knows?**_"

Why now? "_**No one decides the time of their own birth, Kaname Madoka.**_"

What of the other demons? "_**I know them not beyond that we are all from one source.**_"

Enigmas upon enigmas. Questions spawning more questions. It was making her head hurt.

"...are you alright, Madoka-chan?"

Startled, she nearly fell out of her seat. The two of them were in an American-style restaurant, a copy (or maybe a franchise?) of a famous restaurant called Walnut's based in Kamihama. The two were at a small booth by the front with a window view. The two of them had yet to eat a bite, and the servers were treating Homura as if nothing was wrong, even though the demon's acting was terrible even with Madoka's unwilling help...

...and now it had the nerve to flawlessly copy her voice!?

"...no, I'm not. How could I be? This is so awful..."

"What do you mean? I'm here..."

"No! You're not her! _You're not my Homura! Give her back!_"

Madoka slapped away Homura's outstretched hands. The fake Homura looked hurt... but only just for a moment, before the visage of pure hate became stamped upon its face. "_**How dare you!?**_" it exclaimed, smashing a fist into the table, destroying it utterly.

"Ah!?"

The ruckus drew the attention of the other diners, who backed away as soon as they realized what was going on. An enraged devil standing above a little girl, poised to strike. Many ran away at once, several called out for help, and some pulled out their phones.

"_**All I need now is power, more and more power, more and more ability, more and more of the ability to become myself, discover just what and who I truly am! I will not be her replacement; no, I will **_**surpass**_** Akemi Homura! The 'ordinary' Kaname Madoka is useless to me now! I'll just eat your soul too, and then those others girls as well! Say goodbye!**_"

But Madoka, rather than flinching, running away, or cowering, just waited and watched.

"_**...ah!? W-why can't I!? She should be!?**_"

For the false devil had frozen in place – one fist stopping just short of Madoka's face, restrained by the other one. And one of the devil's eyes was bright, shining with the light of Homura's soul. But... would she be alright? By herself? Did she need help? _But how can I... ah, right!_

Taking the false devil by surprise, Madoka leapt upon Homura's devil form and kissed her, pinning her to a wall.

_Homura, I'm here!_

_**Ah!? W-what are you doing!?**_

A pulse of bare life.

_M-madoka! I... I'm still here!_

_**N-no! S-stop! I w-won't let you...**_

_Homura, can you take it from here!?_

A flash of bright vitality.

_Yes!_

Madoka let go, watching as the fake devil burst into a cloud of shadows. She could barely make out the shapes within... but that was enough. Where there was once one, now there was two, even if only briefly. They merged again, and the devil threw itself out of the window, caring not for Madoka's safety. She shielded herself from the glass shards and then watched as the cloud fought itself...

...and then ceased its struggle to dodge a barrage of flying swords.

"Sayaka-chan, help her!"

"**Don't have to tell me twice! I'll take it from here!**"

The shadow fled down the street, and Miki Sayaka in her magical girl form pursued it.

* * *

"_**Just die already!**_"

"Get out of my body!"

The two existences struggled for control over Akemi Homura's body, fighting amidst a cloud of lethal writhing shadows, souls merging and separating as the struggle went on. All Mami, Sayaka, and Kyoko could see from their vantage points was the cloud growing larger and larger as the struggle continued – it began as an extension of Homura's body, grew to take up part of the street, and was now threatening to expand into the nearby buildings.

Mami, generating a clone of fire, split her attention between helping Sayaka keep the growing darkness suppressed and helping Kyoko keep their fellow citizens away from the looming danger. While many heeded their warnings and fled, a small crowd of encouraging watchers remained. She couldn't help but notice that among the crowd were Hitomi and Kyosuke, a friend and her partner, cheering them all on and hoping for their success.

Ah... what a nice show of support.

But they still had to be cautious. She grimaced at the ever-growing shadows. Her and Sayaka's efforts were only slowing the spread, not stopping it.

"'Ey, Blondie, you there?"

Sure, she could use her secret finishing move – a technique she had developed on her own time and hadn't even told Homura about – but it was so destructive she'd end up leveling the block anyway, probably doing more damage than the shadows would.

"Yoooo... Earth to Blondie, anyone home?"

Besides... what would happen to Homura if she really did use that attack? It was meant to utterly destroy Demons; there was no way a normal human body like she assumed Homura to have would survive either. But what other options did she, or rather they, have? She was...

"Ow!"

...interrupted in her thoughts by Kyoko flicking her forehead. She pouted at the redhead.

"Look, that cute act ain't gonna work me, alright?" stated a blushing Kyoko. "Anyway, what's the plan now? Everyone's evacuated except for Pinkie, who refuses to leave her girl's side."

Sure enough, Madoka was standing beside Kyoko with a determined look on her face. Mami sighed. While she could appreciate the sentiment, what on Earth could this ordinary girl do...?

...

Hm...

"Sayaka-chan, could you come here for a moment?" called out Mami.

Sure enough, the armor-clad magical girl returned from the opposite side of the cloud after a few moments. "**You rang, Mami-chan? ...Madoka-chan, why are you still here!?**"

"I'm not leaving Homura-chan behind!" Madoka exclaimed without hesitation. "I have to help her!"

Sayaka was glad nobody could see her face right now. Because there certainly was a way that _a_ Madoka could be helpful here, but not this ordinary one. But before she could try to talk Madoka out of this idea, Mami interjected saying that Madoka might be able to help after all... if she could give them more information on the strange shadow creature that was possessing their friend. Madoka agreed immediately and began to speak, and afterwards Mami crafted her plan.

It went as follows:

First, Mami and Sayaka, now joined by Kyoko, renewed the assault on the growing cloud of shadows, now fighting harder and actually shrinking the cloud down.

They could feel the intense pressure it was giving off weakening, and it was becoming easier to tell the two beings in there apart. They could only hope this was truly the opening they needed.

Second, once the cloud was back down to a manageable size, Madoka approached and called out to Homura, her girlfriend, to announce her presence and support.

Sure enough, the shadows parted and revealed a Homura, but the one with dull eyes was currently in control. That Homura lunged at Madoka, shadows writhing, grinning wickedly.

Third, Kyoko dispelled the illusion on the flaming sword Mami and Sayaka had given Madoka, and Madoka pierced the fake Homura right through her heart.

"_**...M-Madoka...chan...?**_"

And then, Homura's hands wrapped around Madoka's and she impaled herself further upon the sword. The real Homura was seizing control. She continued to approach a crying Madoka.

"M-madoka-chan... Thank you... _**No, what are you doing!? We'll die!**_ No, _you_ will die... foolish Demon._** S-stop! I don't to die! Let me go!**_ No... Perish... Return to the nothingness from whence you came! _**No! Please, no! I don't want to go back! Nooooooo...**_"

The screaming stopped only with Homura coughing up blood onto hers' and Madoka's hands. The false Homura's presence was diminishing... vanishing... gone. Homura slumped into Madoka's embrace, leaving the sword where it was. This was, of course, going to kill her... but unlike that Demon, she would just come back. Death was no longer an option for her.

Madoka was crying out to her, but she couldn't hear a word that was being said.

"Madoka... I love you... wait for me... I'll be back soon..."

Homura 'died' in the weeping Madoka's arms.


End file.
